Any ways to prove you're neg for TB?

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Hi, just a question. I recently received a TB injection, and the nurse poked me deeper than she was supposed to, so later the nurse who read my arm asked me to go to hospital and get an x-ray, which is the case my insurance doesn't cover - they only cover procedures for accidents.

so, here's the question. Are there any ways that I could prove that I'm negative for TB?

I've never received positive results ever, and I'm 99.9% sure that I'm negative.

any suggestions?

You never know until you try! Call them and ask if they have low cost CXR for r/o TB.

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

I've never heard of injecting a PPD too deep and getting a false positive because of it. I've actually been taught in school that when the test is done incorrectly, that we just redo it in a week no matter what the original result was.

Also, how do you know the original nurse injected too deep? Did you get a wheel?

And you very well could have gotten TB out in public and it is just dormant right now. People cough in your face and such unintentionally. It's not extremely common, but it can happen.

Since TB is a public health risk, state health departments are federally funded to offer low cost or even free PPDs, CXR, and follow up treatment for those that can't afford it. All you have to do is google your local health department, call them, and make an appointment. You don't even have to tell them about the previous positive result (even though the facility that read the result should have reported it). You can just make the appt as a new pt and go from there. If you are positive, then they will help you with follow up care, including a CXR. GL

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On what planet would a basic CXR cost $800????

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In Ohio you should have been referred to your health department or regional health district as suspected tb is reportable. To echo the great advice you have already received you need to call them yourself and tell them you had a positive tb skin test and need to follow up on it. You will be brought in for an evaluation (I want to say their metric is within 3 days).

And of course this is done at low or no cost because it is a matter of public health.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

OP has not actually said he/she HAD a positive test - right?

OP,can you clear this up?

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

TB injection? Do you mean a TB test to see if you have TB ? Or the TB vaccine?

Was your test positive? What makes you think the nurse did it too deep?

If you have had a positive test you need to be mindful that while there are many false positives .....you many have been exposed on the city bus or shopping center. Please seek medical assistance at the public health department.

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Specializes in Gerontology RN-BC and FNP MSN student.

Standard protocol is to do another intra dermal injection on the opposite arm.... Then if 2nd test is a positive or 10 mm or >, a CXR is needed to confirm no active TB. Then the employee or resident is known as a "TB reactor" to TB injections. And will require CXR every year.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

I checked, if the needle is too deep the result is a false negativenot a false positive. The test should be repeated on the opposite arm.

* If a papule does not appear the injection has been given too deep, and the skin test should be repeated on the other arm or on the same arm, separated at least 4 cm from the first injection site.

Another source for the procedure:

http://www.cdc.gov/tb/education/mantoux/part1.htm?mobile=nocontent

The standard for a suspected positive is referral to the county or regional health department not to the local hospital as a matter of public health. Additional assessments (repeat PPD or chest x-ray) and follow care or treatment is provided at low or no cost as subsidized by public health funds.

Call your county/regional health department for assistance.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
I'm in OH, and not sure if the county health department would provide low cost chest X-ray here.

It's a matter of public health so yes they will. Call.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
OP has not actually said he/she HAD a positive test - right?

OP,can you clear this up?

The test was read as positive. OP thinks the PPD was administered causing a false positive. This is an erroneous thought process as too deep intradermal injections result in false negative but this is to be assessed at the time of administration based upon the wheal formed at the test site post injection.

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how you don't know whether the nurse poked you deeper or not? you can differentiate the level of pain, and feeling of the needle in ID and SQ because you have nerves. And I believe my case is a false result, which would have resulted from wrong ID injection technique. Because when the nurse poked, blood came out, and I've received TB test so many times, but the level of pain was unnecessarily severe, and it wasn't intradermal injection feeling. I felt deeper than that.

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