TB Testing ((Tuberculosis): Blood test alternative

[Guest guest]

Greetings everyone,

 

Earlier today, Donna Chagnon wrote stating that she is required to undergo a

Tuberculosis (TB)

test for a volunteer position in which she serves, and inquiring about an

alternative to the

standard TB " skin test " . Last December, my partner, who teaches in a public

school in

California, had to renew her TB test, so we found a solution at that time, as

described below.

 

In our case, the test was done at Kaiser Permanente, so it is not altogether

obscure. However,

we did have to bring the information to the doctors; they were willing once they

saw what we

had, but they were unfamiliar or vaguely familiar prior to our bringing them

information.

 

The standard TB test involves injection of a refined version of TB

subcutaneously (under the

skin). Various infection methods are used to minimize the pain, and it is called

a " skin test " ,

but the principle is the same in all versions. Indeed, the basic principles

involved are taken

directly from those used to justify use of vaccines.

 

Following the injection, you wait several days, and if there is no reaction,

then you have

" tested negative " . This is interpreted to mean BOTH that you do not have TB AND

that you are not

a " carrier " . If your system does have a reaction, then a second test is used.

 

Naturally, many in groups such as these would prefer not to have themselves

injected with TB (or

with any disease). Fortunately, a blood test is available that can be

substituted for the " skin

test " . In the USA, this test was approved in 2002 by the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA); I

cannot speak WRT other countries, but I imagine the information is readily

available for the

asking. For the FDA approval documents, please refer to

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf/p010033.html.

 

This blood test is called " QuantiFERON-TB " or QFT. It has been manufactured

since 2001 by

Cellestis Limited, located in Carnegie, Victoria, Australia. For people living

in the US, the

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has published guidelines for use of this test

at

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5202a2.htm.

 

I provide these links specifically because you may wish to print out several

pages of

information to give to the doctor who must order the test for you.

 

Please note that this is a blood culture and not a skin test. Final results from

the culture are

available approximately 6 weeks from the date blood is drawn, with preliminary

results at 3

weeks. Therefore, please allow adequate lead time WRT any testing deadline you

may have.

 

Best to all,

Elchanan