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The TORCH test is a panel of tests that can be given to a newborn baby to test for several different diseases that can be passed from mother to baby. The word TORCH is an acronym for the different diseases that the test identifies.
Herpes simplex virus
The "other" diseases include syphilis, HIV, and varicella zoster virus. If a doctor suspects any of these diseases in the baby, a blood sample is taken to run the TORCH test. If there are any positive responses, then further testing is done to verify if the baby has a particular disease or not. The TORCH test is a first pass. If any further testing does turn out to be positive, then any treatment administered would depend on which specific disease was identified.
It is important to clarify the meaning of "torch test." This can be a positive result for quite a few "vertically transmitted infections," which are listed correctly above and involve the acronym (which is a word where each letter stands for something) TORCH. In order, they are as follows: Toxoplasmosis, Other infections, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex virus 2 (neonatal only).
In my opinion, the "O" of the TORCH acronym is a cop-out, as it can stand for ANY of these other infections: "Coxsackievirus, varicella, parvovirus, chlamydia, HIV, T-lymphotrpic virus, or syphilis." One will recognize many (although not all) of these as sexually transmitted diseases.
When you say that the "torch test is positive," there is definitely a VERY important step you have left out in order to determine the treatment. Because there are SO VERY MANY possible diseases that could have been transmitted to the neonate, the first step MUST be to find out which disease is in question. Where the birth mother may have only one of the diseases in question, the diagnosis (and suggestion of treatment) might be easy; however, if the birth mother has numerous diseases in the list, the exact disease(s) must be pinpointed and only then treatment can be given.
Due to the length of eNotes responses, it is not possible here to give exact explanations of the "treatment" you seek, as so many different diseases are possible. My suggestion would be to find out which disease is affecting the neonate and then research (or ask eNotes) to describe treatment for that particular disease.
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