The TB skin test uses a small amount of purified protein derivative (PPD), which is a substance that your body’s immune system will respond to by creating a bump at the skin test site when you have TB.

A small amount of PPD is injected with a small needle just under the skin on the forearm. This area of the arm is checked 2-3 days after the injection to see if a bump develops. A nurse or physician needs to measure the size of the bump to see if you have a positive skin test. A positive skin test does NOT mean that a person has active TB, but usually means that a person has been exposed to TB at some point in the past. The skin test may be repeated twice in some groups (e.g.

The person with a positive TB skin test who has no signs or symptoms of TB cannot give the TB germ to anyone else. The positive TB skin test indicates only that the person may have been exposed to the TB germ. It does not mean that they have TB disease. The Health Department is notified about all persons suspected of having or diagnosed with active TB disease which can be passed on to another person.

The TB skin test can be falsely negative (e.g., show no reaction) in students who may have been infected recently (in the past several weeks). The TB germ grows slowly and your body’s immune system takes time to react to it. Therefore, when screening students who have been recently exposed to a person with active TB, you need to repeat the TB skin test 10 weeks later to be sure that you have not been infected with TB.

When a student is transferring within the district, the parent/guardian should ask the school nurse. They will be asked to fill out a records request, and then the nurse can print out the needed information. Administrative Assistants and School Secretaries also have the ability to print these records. For a student who has graduated from or left the district, a request needs to be made to the Student Records department located on Hillcrest Drive next to West High School.

The advice for most people is to get a tuberculin test if you have symptoms or if you are living in close contact or have otherwise been in close contact with someone who recently came down with TB disease. (Some people get skin tests because of their jobs, in a school or hospital, for example, to make sure they will not infect others if they have TB.

A simple, painless skin test is used to screen for tuberculosis. This test is offered free of charge by the Health Department. Should the test be positive, you may have a chest X-ray to see if there are any abnormalities in the lungs.

You may obtain TB/PPD testing from your own healthcare provider or you may visit Children's Hospital’s Employee Health department during drop-in hours for free testing. You do not need an appointment to come in during these times: Remember to bring your Volunteer Health Clearance form when you come for your appointment. Each TB/PPD test is a two-step process and requires two short visits 48 hours apart, so plan your schedule accordingly.

x2022; QFT-Gold requires one visit versus TST which requires 2 visits (one to have it placed and one to have it read) x2022; QFT-Gold is objective, Yes or No answer versus TST is subjective to open reader bias/interpretation x2022; QFT-Gold is a blood test with no possibility of side effects versus TST where tuberculin is placed in your skin and could cause adverse reactions

No, only the Comal County Health Department or your school nurse can read and report the TB skin test results.

Yes. Not all BCG vaccinations are effective. A history of BCG vaccination does not exempt students or employees from the skin test.

Answer: There are no IDPH rules and regulations that require the initial or routine skin testing of school children for TB. However, the local health department, TB board, or IDPH may, after considering community factors, institute routine, periodic testing when a community, school, or school district has a higher than expected prevalence of infection.

A positive skin test means that the germ that causes TB has caused an infection in your body. About 25,000 of the 250,000 people in Santa Cruz County have a positive skin test. You will need to get another test, a chest X-ray, to see if you are one of the 20 people out the 25,000 whose infection is advanced and who has TB disease. Only the few who have TB disease are contagious to others, and with treatment they can be cured and not spread the disease.

a part-time teacher at a church-run pre-school so have been extensively tested and screened for both security and health, to include a criminal background check and recent TB test. I am also happy to provide personal and professional references as necessary.