Hep B (slightly active) and PPD positive

All_Smiles_RN · Jul 25, 2007

About the PPD, your next step would be to get a chest xray to prove you don't have active TB. There were girls in my nursing school who had chest xrays instead of PPD's because they were exposed while working in healthcare prior to nursing school.

Was your hep B equivocal or positive? If equivocal, get a re-test. Factors such as recent exposure to an illness can skew the results.

And of course, check with your specific nursing school on their requirements. Good luck to you.

12breakfree · Jul 25, 2007

I got my chest x-ray done, everything looks clear, my lungs are perfectly normal. I'm Hep B positive, which mean I'd contracted it from birth. I emailed the school and the program director won't be back anytime soon, so now I'm sitting here fretting. Not sure what I should do and I hate waiting of the answer, it seems too long, *sigh*

About the PPD, your next step would be to get a chest xray to prove you don't have active TB. There were girls in my nursing school who had chest xrays instead of PPD's because they were exposed while working in healthcare prior to nursing school.
Was your hep B equivocal or positive? If equivocal, get a re-test. Factors such as recent exposure to an illness can skew the results.
And of course, check with your specific nursing school on their requirements. Good luck to you.

miss rochelle · Jul 26, 2007

did your lab results say that you have a positive hep b titer?

positive is good, that means you're immune to it. unlike i, i'm in the in between range, just "sort of" immune so i have to get a booster. if you look at your levels and have a "10" or more, that means your body produces antibodies for hep b.

miss rochelle · Jul 26, 2007

oh yeah, if you're FCCJ, you can sign a waiver that says fccj holds no responsibility if you don't get your hep b shots done and actually contract it during clinicals.

i am going to call the office and see what kind of paperwork i can provide before signing that. my doctor has already written me a rx for a booster and i'll have to get my titers done again in about a month or two. hopefully i will be able to get results before clinicals.

12breakfree · Jul 26, 2007

oh yeah, if you're FCCJ, you can sign a waiver that says fccj holds no responsibility if you don't get your hep b shots done and actually contract it during clinicals.
i am going to call the office and see what kind of paperwork i can provide before signing that. my doctor has already written me a rx for a booster and i'll have to get my titers done again in about a month or two. hopefully i will be able to get results before clinicals.

No, it's not what you think. I'm positive which mean I'm not immuned but carry the HBV. I cant get shots because I already have contracted the virus from birth. My mom is Hep B carrier and so is my brother. But his got clear during the 3 months Alph2 Interferon treatment awhile back.

miss rochelle · Jul 26, 2007

well, i don't know about FCCJs policies, but here's an old posting that i found via the "search" option about being a carrier of hep b:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/anybody-who-hep-b-reactive-158563.html

this is what silentfades wrote:

In regards to work--

Like those with hiv a health care provider may individually choose not to work in the areas that may lead to either patients becoming more easily infected or where thier is less exposure to other communicable diseases to the provider.

Such areas would be obstetrics emergency room surgery dialysis oncology.

However that is hardly limiting and a persons choice as shown time and time agian by various legal cases.

I do know it is against the law for any institution private or public to discriminate or from a person who is HIV positive or with other disabilities from employment.

HIV and other medical illness are seeing as a disability. As long as it does not affect the way you can provide care safely then there is not reason not to be gainfully employed with no discrimination.

The federal laws of United States Government take discrimination against people with illnesses quite seriously.

here is the website for the Americans with Disabilities Act

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

more information on heb b disclosure:

http://www.hbvadvocate.org/hepatitis/hepB/HBV_Disclosure_FS.html

12breakfree · Jul 28, 2007

Thank you for sharing the info. Right now I'm waiting for answer and will not getting that soon. I also think that if they're allowed people who are HIV positive, why discriminate me as well as other who are Hep A,B, or C pos. As long as I'm not put public health at risk then I'm all good. I know that if you're TB that's a total different story, because it is an airborn disease.

well, i don't know about FCCJs policies, but here's an old posting that i found via the "search" option about being a carrier of hep b:
https://allnurses.com/forums/f8/anybody-who-hep-b-reactive-158563.html
this is what silentfades wrote:
In regards to work--
Like those with hiv a health care provider may individually choose not to work in the areas that may lead to either patients becoming more easily infected or where thier is less exposure to other communicable diseases to the provider.
Such areas would be obstetrics emergency room surgery dialysis oncology.
However that is hardly limiting and a persons choice as shown time and time agian by various legal cases.
I do know it is against the law for any institution private or public to discriminate or from a person who is HIV positive or with other disabilities from employment.
HIV and other medical illness are seeing as a disability. As long as it does not affect the way you can provide care safely then there is not reason not to be gainfully employed with no discrimination.
The federal laws of United States Government take discrimination against people with illnesses quite seriously.
here is the website for the Americans with Disabilities Act
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm
more information on heb b disclosure:
http://www.hbvadvocate.org/hepatitis/hepB/HBV_Disclosure_FS.html