Friday, September 4, 2009

I had a tuberculosis skin test and the nurse measured the reddish skin and said I was positive,but had no welt

I had a tuberculosis skin test and the nurse measured the reddish skin and said I was positive,but had no welt?
I had no welt, just flat reddish skin and she still said I was positive. Was she wrong? I'm having another test by a different doctor anyways, but did the nurse misdiagnose me?
Infectious Diseases - 4 Answers
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1 :
You were exposed to tuberculosis you will always test positive, But the thing is you dont have it. i know it may sound confusing. When i was little i was exposed to it as well but never got it either.
2 :
No, it probably means you are a carrier. My dad always tested positive for tuberculosis. He was a carrier, but you have been immunized, so you're fine.
3 :
She read it wrong. Are you sure she was actually an RN or LPN, though? If not, she wasn't a nurse. Anyway, you're not supposed to measure the red area. You only measure the welt, if there is one. If you had no welt or swelling at all, or if the welt was under 15mm in diameter (assuming you don't have any risk factors for tuberculosis), then your test was negative and it's a good thing you're having it repeated! Here's a really great site to check out for more information: http://www2a.cdc.gov/PHTN/tbmodules/modules1-5/m3/3-m-03.htm#TopOfPage
4 :
Take the second test and don't worry now. You should only get worried after they give you a chest x-ray and verify TB-then go from there. Until then don't worry about it. (easier said than done I'm sure..

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