Positive ppd test

Just moved to new area. Doing pre-employment stuff for new job...
My TB test read as positive today-now what happens? I'm stressed, this has never happened before. Any thoughts?
They might require you to have a chest x-ray. A positive PPD skin test doesn't automatically mean one has TB.

A positive PPD test means you've been exposed to TB, doesn't mean you have it. A chest X-ray will probably be the next thing and then they'll go from there. A co-worker of mine tests positive every time we do ours, she has her Xray to make sure it hasn't progressed since the last time she had one and all is good. She has tested positive for the last 15 or so years she said and her X-rays always look the same.

[font=book antiqua]Quote from foster's momjust moved to new area. doing pre-employment stuff for new job...

[font=book antiqua]one last thing...[font=book antiqua]anyone who tests positive once, should not ever have the test again[font=book antiqua]once you are positive, you are positive. no need to repeat the test. you could actually have a severe reaction.[font=book antiqua]just get the chest xray when required. don't let anyone tell you that you have to take the ppd again.[font=book antiqua]nurse in last post whose friend has been getting it every year for 15 years... should not be getting it... some will try to force you, but don't take it.[font=book antiqua]they should screen you for symptoms and ask for negative chest xray within last year.[font=book antiqua] [font=book antiqua]again, it's that knowledge deficit... [font=book antiqua]hope that helps.[font=book antiqua] [font=book antiqua]amanda d.

Best source of information of TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention:www.cdc.gov

Hi foster's mom. Make sure too that you wait the full 72 hours I believe it is. I knew of someone who went back in two days and they thought it was positive. The nurse asked her to come back around the 72 hour mark and they ruled it negative. Good luck!

Thanks so much to all for the info. Helped alot.

Ok here is the deal, I am a health specialist, just came into the sector. Previous job was in administration in the corporate world. I took a TB test, and so did my wife who works for the same hospital. Her test site in less then three hours only showed a small needle mark where the skin test was applied. Mine went up into a blister site about around as a quarter. In 48 hours the area was red and not as swollen as prior. It had some swelling in the area and still the size of a quarter. The area did not exhibit a huge raised bump. The bump actually was not really raised, but laid under the skin. It was red as stated the size of a quarter, with the swelling under the skin with a slight swelling above the size smaller then the redness, which was quarter size. The LPN checked it, felt the swelling and gave me a negative. In 72 hours the site looked better then 48 hours. Less swelling, less redness. I have looked and been told that is it is positive there will be swelling the size of a dime, how high is the swelling to be, and what else should there be. I am afraid this LPN may of read it wrong. I have not been around anyone with TB. I have never been tested prior. As stated my wifes test was negative, her area looked like nothing. I heard the area should of had what looked like a wheel around it, what should I do if I believe this LPN did not know how to read the test??? I have no problems breathing, no symptoms, so what is negative what is positive??? I am confused. I heard the size of a dime with even the slightest raised area is positive. How much swelling should there be???

Sounds to me like your test may have been positive; either that or you had an allergic reaction to the ppd solution (it does happen.)Any amount of induration that can be palpated greater than 10mm (5mm if immunocompromised) is considered positive. Imagine a mosquito bite - a positive reading looks like that generally. (ie it is red and has palpable swelling/firmness above or under the skin) Anyone can be exposed in the community without even knowing it; it's much more common now than 20 years ago.If you think you were misread, mention it to your family physician and get a chest xray.A positive test doesn't mean you have TB, just were exposed to someone with it.

thank you, will go to my physcian

I am one of tose oddities who have an allergy to the serumJust need a chest x-ray yearly instead

Quote from agr8rnSounds to me like your test may have been positive; either that or you had an allergic reaction to the ppd solution (it does happen.)Any amount of induration that can be palpated greater than 10mm (5mm if immunocompromised) is considered positive. Imagine a mosquito bite - a positive reading looks like that generally. (ie it is red and has palpable swelling/firmness above or under the skin) Anyone can be exposed in the community without even knowing it; it's much more common now than 20 years ago.If you think you were misread, mention it to your family physician and get a chest xray.A positive test doesn't mean you have TB, just were exposed to someone with it.