Tuberculin Skin Tests: Why It Is Done
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Why It Is Done
A tuberculin skin test is done to find people with tuberculosis (TB), including:
- People who have been in close contact with someone known to have TB.
- Health care workers who are likely to be exposed to TB.
- People with TB symptoms, such as an ongoing cough, night sweats, and weight loss for no reason.
- People who have had an abnormal chest X-ray.
- People who have had a recent organ transplant or with impaired immune systems, such as those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
A tuberculin skin test should not be done for people who have a:
- Known TB infection.
- Positive tuberculin skin test in the past. A second test may cause a more severe reaction to the TB antigens.
- Skin rash that would make it hard to read the skin test.
| Last updated: | May 18, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Reviewed By: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine, Alfred A. Lardizabal, MD - Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine/Tuberculosis |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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