TB Test? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

The_Dude · 07-13-2003, 05:30 AM

bah, i think i'm screwed on that.

every intl student going to UT has to take the tb test shot and i dont think i'll pass the damn thing.

it's not cuz i have tb, it's cuz of a vaccine that i took back in india (almost all students born in india and other places have this problem). (bcg is what it's called i think).

it usually gives a positive result. but, i've taken 3 since i've come to this country and i've passed all of 'em (dont know how, i did swell up all 3 times). but UT wants a test less than a yr old and i dont have one in that time period.

anyway, enough ranting. do you tink the university knows about the vaccine that some intl students take and maybe they'll let me by?

otherwise, i'd have to take damn chest x-rays and wont be able to register cuz of this.

i'll prolly read this @ UT, so any advise is welcome.

greytone · 07-13-2003, 04:22 PM

Tell the student health officials about your BCG. Believe me, they know a hell of a lot more about it than you do (which may not have been true if you saw a local MD in the past). You are not the first Indian to go to UT. Hell, you won't be the first one there that day.

The question is what to do about it. The latest recomendation I heard is that a + PPD with a history of a BCG should still lead to antibiotic prophylaxis. Granted, that is different than what has been done in the past. What you need to do is find out what UT's current policy is.

lurkette · 07-13-2003, 04:26 PM

If you get a +TB result a negative xray and a sign-off from your doctor should be enough to satisfy the officials that you're TB-. A friend of mine had the vaccine and has to get TB tests because he works with primates - he always tests positive so he just gets xrays now.

Great Scott · 07-13-2003, 04:41 PM

Should not be problem. That PPD test isn't 100% effective anyway. Most Europeans are also vaccinated against TB in the same way so it's a very common thing. They might have you take the chest x-ray anyway though....

greytone · 07-14-2003, 05:09 PM

A chest X-ray can rule out active infection. It is not sensitive enough to rule out latent infection, which is what the PPD is being used for. There are new serum tests which are not widely used or even available. A new test should be available in the next year which will get around some of the problems of all the other tests.

07-13-2003, 05:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
The_Dude The GrandDaddy of them all! Location: Austin, TX	TB Test? bah, i think i'm screwed on that. every intl student going to UT has to take the tb test shot and i dont think i'll pass the damn thing. it's not cuz i have tb, it's cuz of a vaccine that i took back in india (almost all students born in india and other places have this problem). (bcg is what it's called i think). it usually gives a positive result. but, i've taken 3 since i've come to this country and i've passed all of 'em (dont know how, i did swell up all 3 times). but UT wants a test less than a yr old and i dont have one in that time period. anyway, enough ranting. do you tink the university knows about the vaccine that some intl students take and maybe they'll let me by? otherwise, i'd have to take damn chest x-rays and wont be able to register cuz of this. i'll prolly read this @ UT, so any advise is welcome. __________________ "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

07-13-2003, 04:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
greytone Junkie	Tell the student health officials about your BCG. Believe me, they know a hell of a lot more about it than you do (which may not have been true if you saw a local MD in the past). You are not the first Indian to go to UT. Hell, you won't be the first one there that day. The question is what to do about it. The latest recomendation I heard is that a + PPD with a history of a BCG should still lead to antibiotic prophylaxis. Granted, that is different than what has been done in the past. What you need to do is find out what UT's current policy is. __________________ I was there to see beautiful naked women. So was everybody else. It's a common failing. Robert A Heinlein in "They Do It With Mirrors"

07-13-2003, 04:26 PM	#3 (permalink)
lurkette My future is coming on Moderator Emeritus Location: east of the sun and west of the moon	If you get a +TB result a negative xray and a sign-off from your doctor should be enough to satisfy the officials that you're TB-. A friend of mine had the vaccine and has to get TB tests because he works with primates - he always tests positive so he just gets xrays now. __________________ "If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." - Anatole France

07-14-2003, 05:09 PM	#5 (permalink)
greytone Junkie	A chest X-ray can rule out active infection. It is not sensitive enough to rule out latent infection, which is what the PPD is being used for. There are new serum tests which are not widely used or even available. A new test should be available in the next year which will get around some of the problems of all the other tests. __________________ I was there to see beautiful naked women. So was everybody else. It's a common failing. Robert A Heinlein in "They Do It With Mirrors"

07-13-2003, 04:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
Great Scott Insane Location: In a huge maze just trying to find my cheese	Should not be problem. That PPD test isn't 100% effective anyway. Most Europeans are also vaccinated against TB in the same way so it's a very common thing. They might have you take the chest x-ray anyway though....