Anyone nearby can breathe TB germs into the lungs. TB germs can live in your body without making you sick. This is called TB infection. Your immune system traps TB germs with special germ fighters. Your germ fighters keep TB germs from making you sick. But sometimes, the TB germs can break away and multiply.
Then they cause TB disease. The germs can attack the lungs or other parts of the body. They can go to the kidneys, the brain, or the spine. If people have TB disease , they need medical help. You may have been exposed to TB if you spent time near someone with TB disease of the lungs or throat. You can only get infected by breathing in TB germs that person coughs into the air. If you have been exposed to TB germs, you will be given a TB skin test.
If it is "positive," you probably have TB infection. If it is "negative," you may be retested in a few weeks, just to be sure. If you do have TB infection , you may need medication. A skin test is the only way to tell if you have TB infection. This test is usually done on the arm. A small needle is used to put some testing material, called tuberculin, under the skin.
In two or three days, a health worker will check to see if there is a reaction to the test. The test is "positive" if a bump about the size of a pencil eraser or bigger appears on your arm. The bump means you probably have TB infection. These are signs of TB disease. There are two tests that can be used to help detect TB infection: a skin test or a TB blood test.
The Mantoux tuberculin skin test TST is performed by injecting a small amount of fluid called tuberculin into the skin in the lower part of the arm. A person given the TST must return within 48 to 72 hours to have a trained health care worker look for a reaction on the arm; this must be done in-person.
TB test T-Spot. Although the tuberculin skin test has been the most common screening method in Texas, many health departments now use the IGRA test as the standard tool.
When choosing a skin test or blood test, consideration can be made based on age, health status see policy TB , BCG status, and other factors of the person needing the test. Other tests may be needed to tell if you have TB disease, such as a chest x-ray CXR and other laboratory testing of sputum. A tuberculin skin test TST is considered a medical act and should only be performed by an individual working under the order of a licensed physician.
There is no requirement for the individual to be a licensed health care worker. DSHS recommends those that administer a TST meet knowledge and clinical skills requirements, have received training, and demonstrated competency before administering a TST. In general, there is no risk associated with repeated tuberculin skin test placements. If a person does not return within hours for a tuberculin skin test reading, a second test can be placed as soon as possible. In general, Texas Department of State Health Services does not recommend that low risk individuals be tested for tuberculosis.
If a test is needed or recommended, the general public may ask their primary care provider, local clinics, or pharmacies, among other sites. You may also contact your local or regional health department for recommendations regarding individual testing needs.
It does not tell whether or not the person has TB infection or TB disease. Other tests, such as a chest x-ray, symptom screening and a testing of sputum phlegm , are needed to determine whether the person has TB infection or TB disease. There is a vaccine for TB, however it is not generally recommended for use in the United States. BCG vaccination does not completely prevent people from getting TB, but it is used to protect infants and young children from serious, life-threatening diseases, specifically miliary TB and TB meningitis.
However, it does not completely prevent people from getting TB. The effect of the BCG vaccine wanes overtime and may have little to no effect on positive TST results among adults who received the vaccine as a child.
TST reactions should be interpreted based on risk stratification regardless of BCG vaccination history. IGRAs use M. The decision about taking treatment for TB infection will be based on your chances of developing TB disease. Some people are more likely than others to develop TB disease once they have TB infection.
This includes people with HIV infection, people who were recently exposed to someone with TB disease, and people with certain medical conditions. TB disease can be treated by taking multiple drugs for several months, generally 6 to 12 months. It is very important that people who have TB disease finish the medicine, and take the drugs exactly as prescribed.
If they stop taking the drugs too soon, they can become sick again; if they do not take the drugs correctly, the germs that are still alive may become resistant to those drugs.
TB that is resistant to drugs is harder and more expensive to treat. In some situations, local health department staff meets regularly with patients who have TB to watch them take their medications. This is called directly observed therapy DOT. DOT helps the patient complete treatment in the least amount of time. These clinics treat patients with TB disease. Also, people who are presumed to have TB may be given treatment while their clinicians perform further testing to confirm or rule out TB disease.
The most current information is found on the TB statistics page. These recommendations may be used by health care facilities and other entities to guide the development of their internal TB screening policies. These recommendations should not be interpreted as DSHS policies.
Health care facilities should perform TB testing and complete a signs and symptoms assessment after known or ongoing exposure to TB or complete a signs and symptoms assessment annually for HCP with untreated TB infection.
This decision should be developed by the health care staff responsible for infection control and may be done in collaboration with your local health department.
The purpose of screening for TB using a signs and symptoms assessment questionnaire is to ensure active TB is identified early. Anyone with symptoms of TB should be referred for medical evaluation.
After the baseline screening, serial or routine CXRs are not recommended; however, persons exhibiting symptoms of TB disease require a CXR regardless of history. Copies of the TB screening results and responses to the symptom screen and individual risk assessment should be kept by the employee as documentation in case of future screenings. For more details, refer to the Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of M. The effectiveness of BCG wanes overtime but it may cause a false-positive reaction to the TST, which may complicate decisions about diagnosing TB infection and prescribing treatment.
More information can be found on the CDC website. Health care personnel, patients or institutional residents with a baseline positive or newly positive IGRA or TST result who are likely to be infected with TB should receive one chest radiograph to exclude a diagnosis of TB disease.
Repeat chest x-rays are not needed unless signs or symptoms of TB develop, or a clinician recommends a repeat chest radiograph, or after a new exposure to TB. They should be educated on treatment options for TB infection to minimize their chance of developing TB disease. If you are a student, bring your U-M ID card with you.
Skin testing is an easy, inexpensive skin test can indicate TB infection, either past or present. A small amount of fluid called purified protein derivative or PPD is injected under the top layer of skin on the lower arm with a small needle.
You can do your normal activities after your skin test, including washing your arm. It may cause swelling, itching or tenderness at the site of injection, which usually disappears within a week. Blood testing may be preferred for individuals who received BCG vaccine, had a prior positive TB skin test, or had a documented allergic reaction to the TB skin test in the past. A blood test may be required after a positive skin test.
The reaction to a skin test may be stronger if repeated frequently. It is important to keep your record of a positive skin test so you can refer to it in the future and not repeat skin tests. Does vaccination cause a positive skin test? The BCG TB vaccine generally does not cause a positive skin test result if you were vaccinated more than ten years ago. However, BCG vaccine effectiveness declines with time. Almost all international students who develop active TB have received the vaccine.
TB infection, not BCG, causes most positive skin tests. Will TB affect my visa status? TB test results do not affect visa status. UHS must report cases of active TB but not inactive TB to the county health department to be investigated for possible contagion of others.
Beyond that, health records at UHS are confidential and cannot be released without your consent. Tuberculosis is caused by TB bacteria. It usually affects the lungs. It can also affect other body parts such as the brain, kidneys or spine.
TB is spread from person to person through the air. The bacteria in the form of droplets are put into the air when a person with TB coughs or sneezes.
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