How To Read A Tb Test
What Does A Positive Tuberculosis Test Mean?
TUBERCULOSIS is a contagious disease. This is true most especially if you are a person who does not practice proper hygiene and cleanliness. Tuberculosis is a condition which causes high morbidity and mortality at a global trend. This condition is also blown up most especially in developing countries where proper hygiene and sanitation is not very much improved and monitored.
Tuberculosis is a general term referred to an infection caused by acid-fast bacilli. These bacilli are rod-shaped bacteria which lodge into our body through droplet and contact transmission. When a person with tuberculosis sneezes and coughs without any protection, hundreds of bacteria may exit his or her body and spread into the air. When we catch any of these bacteria, there is a high chance that we may get pulmonary tuberculosis too. Also, certain conditions i.e. lowered immune system can lead to downright infection of tuberculosis. When a person’s body defenses are low and malfunctioning, we can be vulnerable to catching diseases such as PTB.
Tuberculosis may lead to signs and symptoms like coughing up blood, night sweats, afternoon fever, difficulty of breathing and chest pain. TB also has different stages which are characterized by a group of symptoms. It is important to have PTB diagnosed at an early point in time in order to get the most immediate form of treatment.
What Is A Positive Tuberculosis Test?
A tuberculosis test may come in different forms. Here are some forms of diagnostic procedures which help a physician determine the presence and extent of tuberculosis infection:
- Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB/ Sputum Test)- This certain diagnostic test will require the person to collect sputum specimen at the instance he wakes up in the morning. Upon waking up, the patient should gargle tap water for a few seconds. After that, the patient must gather sputum and have it tested by the laboratory.
This sputum test will determine the form of bacteria that causes respiratory distress and infection. This will also help in ruling out tuberculosis. A positive tuberculosis test will reveal the presence of mycobacterium tuberculosis in the sputum.
- X-Ray/ Radiographic Exams - Usually, the pulmonologist will require an X-ray to identify whether tuberculosis lesions are present. These lesions will appear as white masses in the lobes of the lungs. These masses may possibly be the capsules where the TB bacteria are encapsulated and at any time, these may rupture.
How To Read A Tb Test - News
Mantoux Test or Purified Protein Derivative- A Mantoux test is simply an intradermal injection wherein the results will be read after a 72 hours. A positive tuberculosis test will reveal a wheal formation of about 10 mm in diameter.
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Tuberculosis – An introduction
What is TB?
TB or Tuberculosis of is one of the most commonly found diseases in India. It is a highly infectious disease caused by bacteria (usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and most commonly affects the lungs. Because it spreads through air, this infection is found in many humans. However, in most people it is latent and only 10% of these infections turn into an active disease.
Pulmonary and non-pulmonary TB
While the most commonly affected sites in humans are the lungs, TB can also occur in bones, especially in the spine and at the ends of the long bones.
Other common sites of non-pulmonary TB include the lymph nodes, brain and kidneys. In fact, there is virtually no organ that cannot be touched by TB.
Latent and Active TB
It is estimated that nearly one-third of the world is infected with Tuberculosis. However, the distribution of this number is not even throughout the world as almost 80% of those infected are from African and Asian countries.
The peculiar thing about the TB bacteria is that it can stay in the bloodstream of a person and not develop into active disease. The most frequent method of testing for TB is through a skin test called the Mantoux test . This test only determines whether the person being tested has the bacteria present in him or her, and not whether it has evolved into a full-fledged, active disease. Thus, it has less diagnostic value in countries like India and hold relevance in certain clinical situations only.
Latent TB is inactive, has no symptoms and is not contagious. Active TB makes a person sick and is highly contagious. It is not necessary that everyone infected with the TB bacteria develop active TB. In fact, most usually don’t.
Spread of TB
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease and spreads from person to person through tiny droplets discharged into the air. It spreads through very close contact when a person breathes the same air as the TB patient.
In a country like ours, where the TB bacteria are so prevalent, it is imperative to maintain hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease. Spitting in public or coughing or sneezing without covering the mouth should be completely discouraged.