Master TORCH Screening (OLD VERSION) with Picmonic for Nursing RN

This is a protozoan infection and is often associated with pregnant women changing cat litter boxes.

This category includes infections such as gonorrhea, syphilis, varicella, hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and parvovirus. There are a variety of conditions that can have adverse effects on the fetus. Testing for these conditions is imperative in the prenatal period. Determining immunity status via titers can assist with identifying those conditions that the mother is susceptible to based on a low titer.

Rubella, also known as German measles, is a disease caused by the rubella virus and characteristically presents with a rash, low grade fever, cold-like symptoms and swollen glands.

CMV infection or cytomegalic inclusion disease (CMID) during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. Newborns with CMID present with IUGR and may be lethargic, have hypotonia, microcephaly, and experience seizures.

H stands for herpes simplex virus infection and this can be transmitted from mother to neonate during birth.

Pregnant mothers need diagnostic testing to determine titers and risk for TORCH infections.