The PPD skin test is a method used to diagnose tuberculosis (TB). PPD stands for purified protein derivative.
Alternative NamesPurified protein derivative standard; TB skin test; Tuberculin skin test; Mantoux test
How the test is performedThe test site (usually the forearm) is cleansed with rubbing alcohol. The PPD extract is then injected under the top layer of skin, causing a welt to form on the skin. This welt usually goes away in a few hours.
The reaction will take 48 - 72 hours to develop. You must return to your health care provider within that time to have the area checked. This test will determine whether you have had a significant reaction to the PPD test. The reaction is measured in millimeters of firm swelling (induration), not redness, at the site.
How to prepare for the testThere is no special preparation for this test.
Tell your health care provider if you have ever had a positive PPD skin test. If so, you should not have a repeat PPD test, except under unusual circumstances.
Tell your doctor if you have a medical condition or if you take certain drugs, such as steroids, that can affect your immune system. These situations may lead to inaccurate test results.
How the test will feelYou will feel a brief sting as a needle is inserted just below the skin surface.
Why the test is performedThe PPD test is done to find out if you have been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes TB.
Normal ValuesA negative reaction (no induration) or a size of hard swelling that falls below the cutoff for each risk group may mean that you have not been infected with the bacteria that cause TB. There are different cutoffs for children, people with HIV, and other risk groups.
Unfortunately, this is not a perfect test. Up to 20% of people infected with the bacteria that cause TB may not have a reaction on the PPD skin test. In addition, certain conditions that affect the immune system (cancer, recent chemotherapy, late-stage AIDS) may cause a false-negative test result.
What abnormal results meanThe results of the test depend on the size of the skin reaction and on the person being tested.
A small reaction (5 mm of firm swelling at the site) is considered to be positive in people:
Larger reactions (greater than or equal to 10 mm) are considered positive in:
In people with no known risks for TB, a positive reaction means there is 15 mm or more of firm swelling at the site.
What the risks areThere is a very small risk of severe redness and swelling of the arm in people who have had a previous positive PPD test and who have the test again. There also have been a few cases of this reaction in people who have not been tested before.
Special considerationsA positive skin test does not necessarily mean that a person has active tuberculosis. More tests must be done to check whether there is active disease.
Many people who were born outside the United States may have had a vaccine called "BCG," which can lead to a false-positive test result. However, many experts believe that a past BCG vaccination should not change the interpretation of the PPD result when the test is done 15 years or more after the BCG vaccination.
ReferencesIseman MD. Tuberculosis. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 345.
The PPD skin test is a method used to diagnose tuberculosis (TB). PPD stands for purified protein derivative.
Alternative NamesPurified protein derivative standard; TB skin test; Tuberculin skin test; Mantoux test
How the test is performedYou will need two visits to your doctor's office for this test.
At the first visit, the health care provider will clean an area of your skin.
You will get a small shot that contains PPD. The needle is gently placed under the top layer of skin, causing a bump (welt) to form. This usually goes away in a few hours.
After 48-72 hours, you must return to your doctor's office. The doctor or nurse will check the area to see if you have had a significant reaction to the PPD test.
How to prepare for the testThere is no special preparation for this test.
Tell your health care provider if you have ever had a positive PPD skin test. If so, you should not have a repeat PPD test, except under unusual circumstances.
Tell your doctor if you have a medical condition or if you take certain drugs, such as steroids, that can affect your immune system. These situations may lead to inaccurate test results.
How the test will feelYou will feel a brief sting as a needle is inserted just below the skin surface.
Why the test is performedThis test is done to find out if you have ever come in contact with the bacteria that causes TB.
TB, or tuberculosis, is an easily spread (contagious) disease. It most often affects the lungs. The bacteria can remain inactive (dormant) in the lungs for many years. This is called latent TB.
Most people in the United States who are infected with the bacteria do not have signs or symptoms of active TB.
You are most likely to need this test if you:
A negative reaction usually means you have never been infected with the bacteria that cause TB.
A negative reaction means the skin where you received the PPD test is not swollen, or the swelling is very small. This measurement is different for children, people with HIV, and other high risk groups.
This is not a perfect test. Up to 1 in 5 people infected with the bacteria that cause TB may not have a reaction. Also, diseases or medicines that weaken the immune system may cause a false-negative result.
What abnormal results meanAn abnormal (positive) result means you have been infected with the bacteria that cause TB. You may need treatment.
It is important to note that test results depend on the person being tested.
A small reaction (5 mm of firm swelling at the site) is considered to be positive in people:
Larger reactions (greater than or equal to 10 mm) are considered positive in:
In people with no known risks for TB, 15 mm or more of firm swelling at the site indicates a positive reaction.
What the risks areThere is a very small risk of severe redness and swelling of the arm in people who have had a previous positive PPD test and who have the test again. There also have been a few cases of this reaction in people who have not been tested before.
Special considerationsA positive skin test does not necessarily mean that a person has active TB. More tests must be done to check whether there is active disease.
Many people who were born outside the United States may have had a vaccine called "BCG," which can lead to a false-positive test result. However, most experts say that a past BCG vaccination should not change the PPD result when the test is done in people with an increased risk of TB infection or disease.
ReferencesFitzgerald DW, Sterling TR, Haas DW. Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolan R, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Orlando, FL: Saunders Elsevier;2009:chap 250.
Iseman MD. Tuberculosis. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 345.
Ellner JJ. Tuberculosis. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds.Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 332.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 12/06/2011
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Jatin M. Vyas, PhD, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Other names for a tuberculin skin test. PPD stands for purified protein derivative.
It is the Purified Protein Derivative tuberculin skin test.
The PPD skin test for tuberculosis is calculated in MM not percent. Induration of 2 or less than 2 mm, without blistering, is considered a negative skin test.
Ppd test is a terbuculosis test. They put a needle under your skin and a bubble is there. Within 24 hours if the bubble doesn't disappear, You have T.b. =(
a ppd test can be given every month
The PPD test is a test that is administered by physicians in order to diagnose silent tuberculosis. This can be done in a doctor's office where PPT is injected under the top layer of skin. After 48 to 72 hours you must return to have the doctor check and see if there has been a reaction to the test. This test will assist in finding out if you have ever come in contact with the bacteria that causes tuberculosis.
Depending on context, PPD can mean postpartum depression or purified protein derivative, the name of the fluid injected into the skin of the arm during a screening test for tuberculosis.
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.
Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) is injected intradermally (between the layers of the skin).
The PPD is a test for exposure to tuberculosis. There is no reason not to get this test if you were recently stick with the flu.
There's no wait time for varicella vaccine after a PPD. There's a wait for PPD after varicella vaccine.
If you work in a hospital or lab where exposure to TB is possible then get a TB skin test every 6 months to a year, depending on your work setting.