Open search bar Open navigation Submit search. Treatments and tests. Facebook Youtube Twitter. Home Treatments and tests Tuberculin Skin Test. Why is it done? The TST is done: to find latent TB in a person who may have been exposed to someone diagnosed with active TB to check if a person has latent TB infection before they start work at a health care facility to check if a person has latent TB before they travel to a region where there are high rates of TB before the BCG vaccination is given to babies over 6 months of age.
How is it done? A sterile disposable needle and syringe is used to do this. What should I do before having the TST? It is important that you tell the doctor or nurse if you: have ever been treated for TB have had a previous TST have had a viral illness in the last week have an illness that affects your immune system take any medication, such as steroids, that affects your immune system received any vaccinations in the past month.
How do I take care of the injection site? Do not scratch or rub the injection site. Leave the area open: do not cover with any dressing, cream or ointment. If blisters develop and it causes discomfort, apply a cool compress to the area. Continue your normal activities after having the TST including showering, swimming and sport. What do the results mean? The interpretation of the results depend on a number of factors, including: whether you have had previous contact with TB whether you have had a BCG vaccination your age your medical history.
Negative result If the lump is below a certain size, the result of the test is negative. Positive result If the lump is above a certain size, the result of the test is positive. What happens after I get the reading? What are the possible side effects? May 15, I've given lots of PPDs. They don't usually bleed, but sometimes they do.
They shouldn't bleed alot. It's possible to pierce a capillary when inserting the SC needle, even though you don't see the capillary. Then you get bleeding. Also, if you take blood thinners, including fish oil, aspirin, and vitamin E, you might bleed more easily. Aneroo, LPN. Sometimes they do bleed a little. You can tell if it went in too deep because you won't get the wheel when it's done.
What you're describing sounds pretty normal and not a big deal. Just dab the bleeding with cotton. I have went through training in administering TB skin tests, and the only thing mentioned was not to use any bandages if there is bleeding to avoid confusion if the patient has a reaction to the bandage.
It's not unusual for a drop of blood to appear at the injection site, even when the needle is inserted properly. Should this happen, lightly blot the blood away with a 2x2 gauze pad or cotton ball.
Do not cover the site with an adhesive bandage because the adhesive could cause irritation and interfere with the test. Properly dispose of the contaminated gauze pad.
To determine if the skin test was administered properly, use the millimeter ruler to immediately measure the wheal at its maximum size. This is called an induration. The healthcare provided who administered the test or a peer, would then measure the size of the induration and record it as a positive.
So long as the surface of the skin remains flat - no matter what color the area is - it is NOT a positive sign. Remember, the important point here is that we are looking to see, between 48 and 72 hours, if there is an induration at the site of the administration of the PPD. Discolorations do not count - in the absence of an induration. As far as the bleeding is concerned, not being there to see for myself, I would have to give you a generalized piece of insight.
It is not completely unusual to nick a small capillary during the administration of the test, if the blood vessels are tine and close to the surface. If the effort to clean the area did not express out the fluid injected, the test should still be valid. If agressive attention was however paid, to the end result that the bleb was squashed down, it is possible that the liquid was lost, and the test may have to be repeated.
It would be good to let your care-provider know.
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