The Mantoux test is a skin test used to detect exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. A small amount of protein is injected under the skin, and a raised area indicates exposure. False negatives and positives are possible, and further diagnostic tests may be needed. Positive results may require treatment with antibiotics, and employment may be restricted until documentation of no tuberculosis is provided.
A Mantoux test is a skin test used to test someone for signs of exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis infection. This type of test may be requested in a wide variety of circumstances, from a routine physical exam to a medical exam performed as part of the requirements for a job. Because tuberculosis is highly infectious, people seeking jobs in schools and government agencies are often asked to be tested as a stint.
In this test, a doctor injects a small amount of protein from the tuberculosis bacterium under the skin on your arm. This substance is known as tuberculin or purified protein derivative (PPD). It may not cause TB, but it will stimulate the immune system to react, causing an area of raised skin to appear at the injection site if someone has been exposed to or infected with TB.
After the injection, the patient is sent home for two to three days. He or she must go back to a doctor’s office to have the test read. In a negative test, little to no swelling occurred. Positive tests cause a raised disc to appear, which can be about 0.2 to 0.6 inches (5 to 15 millimeters) in diameter. If someone has a compromised immune system, the smaller reading is considered positive. In individuals with risk factors for TB exposure, the raised skin should measure at least 0.4 inch (10 mm) for a positive reading, while low-risk individuals would have positive readings if the area was 0.6 inch (15 mm). ) or more in diameter.
It is possible to get a false negative on a Mantoux test, in the case of someone who was mildly exposed or infected and treated more than 15 years before the test. People who have been infected and treated can experience false positives, in which the test makes it appear that the patient is actively infected, but cannot pass the bacteria on to others because it is not present. In these cases, further diagnostic tests may be used to confirm that the patient is free from the bacterium.
If a Mantoux test is positive, the patient will be advised to seek advice from a healthcare professional who can perform further diagnostic tests and offer treatment recommendations. Generally, these tests will include X-rays to check lung function. If the patient does indeed have an active TB infection, antibiotic drugs may be given to kill the bacteria in the body. A person with a positive test may be barred from employment in certain types of jobs until they can provide documentation indicating no tuberculosis.
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