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TB Skin Test
Also known as: PPD (Purified Protein Derivative), Mantoux, Latent tuberculosis infection test Formal name: Tuberculin Skin Test Related tests: AFB Culture, Quantiferon®-TB Gold test (QFT-G)
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Common Questions
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1. I’ve heard of another test called QuantiFERON- TB Gold test. Can this be used to test for latent TB infection?
2. Should I get a TB skin test if I am pregnant?
3. What about the multiple puncture prong test for TB?
1. I’ve heard of another test called QuantiFERON- TB Gold test. Can this be used to test for latent TB infection?
Yes, the FDA approved a blood test called the QFT-G (QuantiFERON® - TB Gold Test). It can be used to help confirm or rule out a latent or active tuberculosis infection. This test is not affected by previous QFT-G or TB skin tests or by BCG vaccination. It does not require the patient to return in 48 to 72 hours to have their results read by a healthcare worker and there is no potential for a local skin reaction due to a PPD injection because there is no injection. The QFT-G requires that a blood sample be collected from the patient and processed in the lab within 12 hours of collection, which complicates the clinical utility and the availability of the test in many situations. There are limited data as yet on the usefulness of this test in certain populations, such as children, those who have suppressed immune systems, and those who have been recently exposed to TB.
2. Should I get a TB skin test if I am pregnant?
Only under your doctor’s supervision and only if there is a need to do so. There have not been enough studies done to clearly document the safety of the PPD solution during pregnancy. On the other hand, since TB can be passed from mother to child through the amniotic fluid during pregnancy, if you are at an increased risk of contracting TB, your doctor may want you to have a TB skin test done.
3. What about the multiple puncture prong test for TB?
This is called the “tine” test and is rarely used any more. It involved the use of a device with multiple prongs/pins that were either dipped into a tuberculin solution and then pricked the skin, or pricked the skin through a drop of tuberculin that had been applied to the surface of the skin. The tine test was not considered as accurate because the amount being delivered could not be controlled. Any positive tine tests had to be followed up with the regular TB/PPD skin test.
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This article was last reviewed on
March 4, 2007.
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