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If you test positive on a tb skin test do you have the disease?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
No, not necessary. Positive TB test just mean your immune system has been exposed to the TB antigen. This could be from false positive (no test is perfect), allergy, recent BCG vaccine (unlikely in the US) or you really were exposed to the bacteria.
Just because you're exposed to the bacteria also does not mean you will get the disease; your immune system is an excellent line of defense.
Anyhow, TB can actually affect many organs in your body, but the most concerning one is pulmonary because it's the most common and most easily pass from one person to another. This is why chest x-ray is the next screening test for people with positive TB skin test. However, people with active TB usually have other symptoms like fever, chills, night sweats, weight loss, cough, shortness of breath, cough up blood, ect.
Current recommendation is that you should take INH (antibiotic) for 9 months if you have positive TB skin test. This is because you may carry the TB bacteria within your body somewhere even though they are not causing any active disease. Chest x-ray will be your screening test from then on because you will be positive again with future TB skin test.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
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Is it safe to have a TB skin test if you already have a positive TB skin test and also have aortic valve regurgitation?
It is contraindicated to have a second TB test after a previous positive test result.
What other issues can cause a positive reading of a TB skin test?
exposure to TB and having had a BCG vaccine.
Which of the following cannot lead to a positive tuberculin skin test?
being near someone with tb
Is there a blood test to determine if I have tuberculosis?
Since 2001 there has been an approved blood test for TB that has advantages over the skin test, and is recommended by the US Center for Disease Control. Follow the links below for details. It does not require a repeat visit (if negative), and is more reliable in some cases, such as people who have had a TB immunization or multiple TB skin tests. It is called the QuantiFERON®-TB Gold test. Like the skin test, it only tells that a person has been infected with TB germs. It does not tell whether or not the person has progressed to TB disease. Other tests, such as a chest x-ray and a sample of sputum, are needed to see whether the person has TB disease. The test mentioned above tests for TB by detecting the immune response to TB. If a patient is severely ill, there may be TB bacilli in the blood, and a blood culture can be used.
How do you know if a tb test is positive?
AnswerA positive TB Skin Test is indicated by a hard red bump at the injection site. False positives are possible if you have an allergy to the chemical used in the test. Ideally, your skin would absorb the compound and the injection site would be indistinguishable after three or four days.
Once you have a positive PPD why cant you ever get it again and have to have a chest xray instead?
Once someone tests positive for the PPD skin test, that person will (almost)always remain positive for the rest of their life. Then, there is no sense in placing a PPD skin test again, as you already know that it will be positive. The reason for doing the chest x-ray instead is to make sure that there is no evidence of active tuberculosis disease in the lungs. Not all patients with a "positive PPD" will have an active lung disease from TB, which can be contagious.
What is the medical term meaning Tb skin test?
The medical term meaning Tb skin test is Mantoux. It's a term that refers to a skin test to check for tuburculosis.
Does Medicare part B cover a TB skin test?
does medicare cover tb skin tests
What is the Mentoux test?
The Mentoux Test is a skin test the screens for TB.
When do you say someone is positive of Mantoux test?
A Mantoux test is done by injecting a very small amount of TB protein ( antigens) under the top layer of skin. The skin test is then read 2 or 3 days later, a positive test, doesn't always mean someone has TB; it just means that you have been exposed to TB at sometime in your life, a follow up XRay or CT scan to reveal if there is an active infection should be done.A sputum test can also be done to determine if there is active infection.
How does lab test blood for TB?
Blood is not drawn for a TB test. There are two ways to test for TB. One is a skin test where they insert a bit of the TB under your skin and then in two days they read it. If there is no reaction you are OK. If there is a reaction a X ray of your chest is taken. As a teacher I am required by law to have a TB test every 2 years. Only once have I had a reaction to the skin test, so I guess I was exposed at some point, but the X ray showed that there was nothing.
Can a positive tuberculosis test be the result of something other than tuberculosis?
A positive TB test can mean you have been in contact with someone who has TB or you have TB. I now also show positive to TB as I went on the trial medication which I now am immune to TB. So tests will always come back positive but its not active. There is something called Valley Fever in the southwest. It is a spore that comes out of Death Valley that attacks the lungs. People who have had Valley Fever test positive for T.B.
