To consider VISA denial....

Rep · Jan 28, 2006

I answered your questions in the Philippine nursing forum.

Nurse Dependent · Jan 28, 2006

dear leah:

in my opinion, all is not lost. i think it is still best that you found out about the infections at this stage. before your actual medical exams.

i assume your doctor is treating your family already? albeit it takes 3 months for the meds to fully run its course, you will declare this fact to st. luke's anyway.

you may even argue, i think, (please verify the fact as a medical professional) that within one week of initial treatment, the tb ceases to be infectious.

one reason for the "denial" is the spread communicable diseases. if it is true that within one week the bacteria is "contained," the basis of the denial is nullified.

otherwise, they could counter-argue that they'd only give you their clearance after the 3-month treatment -- they may still continue with the gc process, with a bit of a delay.

the points stated are just my personal opinion. running the risk of being branded again as a bearer of ill-advise and flawed opinion, you are highly encouraged to seek other more professional and learned advise.

what i'm trying to say is, don't lose hope just yet, my friend.

our prayers are with you.

Rep · Jan 28, 2006

agree...

dear leah:
in my opinion, all is not lost. i think it is still best that you found out about the infections at this stage. before your actual medical exams.
i assume your doctor is treating your family already? albeit it takes 3 months for the meds to fully run its course, you will declare this fact to st. luke's anyway.
you may even argue, i think, (please verify the fact as a medical professional) that within one week of initial treatment, the tb ceases to be infectious.
one reason for the "denial" is the spread communicable diseases. if it is true that within one week the bacteria is "contained," the basis of the denial is nullified.
otherwise, they could counter-argue that they'd only give you their clearance after the 3-month treatment -- they may still continue with the gc process, with a bit of a delay.
the points stated are just my personal opinion. running the risk of being branded again as a bearer of ill-advise and flawed opinion, you are highly encouraged to seek other more professional and learned advise.
what i'm trying to say is, don't lose hope just yet, my friend.
our prayers are with you.

lawrence01 · Jan 28, 2006

hi!
i posted a question in Philippine forums but no one posted any thoughts..that's why i made this new thread...
just found out the other day that my youngest son had primary TB..and with that i got paranoid..today, i have my eldest and hubby undergo xray...
results?...they are too :crying2:
i am so devastated!!!!..i dont know what to do now..
my xray said that i am cleared...
these results shattered my dreams of going to america...i dont want to hope anymore....
i know st lukes are so strict with regards to xrays..i dont think we could pass our soon to be medicals..
i am also afraid of acquiring the disease...
hael

Relax. There's absolutely nothing to worry about.

First of all, its quite common that Filipino children to have primary TB whether it was diagnosed or not. Some may children may have one but don't know because he wasn't screened. So, you should be thankful it was diagnosed.

Secondly, it was just an x-ray and sputum cultures are still needed to confirm it and to know if its active or otherwise. Same with your child. Most initial tests would give "false positive" results since Fil. children are vaccinated with BCG. If it's not active, no problem. The person who has it can't spread it.

In addition, IF a TB is active (+ sputum culture) it usally only takes about 2-3 weeks of therapy out of the USUAL first 2 mos. intensive therapy and 4 mos. maintenance therapy for it to to be "inactive" and the person is deemed unable to spread the disease.

suzanne4, RN · Jan 28, 2006

Healthcare employees unfortunately come into contact over here with it, just like in other countries. The important thing is that everyone is getting treated. With treatment, there should be no issue.

The do not put a nurse or physician out to pasture here if they have contacted the disease, they get treated with antibiotics that work. And then they return to work.

suzanne4, RN · Jan 28, 2006

Relax. There's absolutely nothing to worry about.
First of all, its quite common that Filipino children to have primary TB whether it was diagnosed or not. Some may children may have one but don't know because he wasn't screened. So, you should be thankful it was diagnosed.
Secondly, it was just an x-ray and sputum cultures are still needed to confirm it and to know if its active or otherwise. Same with your child. Most initial tests would give "false positive" results since Fil. children are vaccinated with BCG. If it's not active, no problem. The person who has it can't spread it.
In addition, IF a TB is active (+ sputum culture) it usally only takes about 2-3 weeks of therapy out of the USUAL first 2 mos. intensive therapy and 4 mos. maintenance therapy for it to to be "inactive" and the person is deemed unable to spread the disease.

Not quite correct. A TB skin test, called a Mantoux, will give a false positive reading with a recent BCG, and that means that all children will automatically test positive. That is why a chest x-ray is required for everyone as part of their physical exam, no matter which country that you are from. And they will not wait for a sputum, that can take weeks. Treatment will automatically be started, especially if they have never been treated before. To get an absolute positive via a culture takes weeks for it to grow. Not overnight like some other bacteria.

Nurse Dependent · Jan 28, 2006

Not quite correct. A TB skin test, called a Mantoux, will give a false positive reading with a recent BCG, and that means that all children will automatically test positive....

hi suzanne,

glad you raised this up.

this is the situation that my 1-month old baby is in. he's given some propylactic 'treatment' by her pedia.

does this mean he'd have to undergo chest x-ray as well (assuming that the medical exams happen 2-3months from now).

thank you very much, my friend.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jan 28, 2006

Don't lose hope. I am so sorry about the situation. Best of wishes to you and your family.

dhel28 · Jan 28, 2006

hi suzanne,
glad you raised this up.
this is the situation that my 1-month old baby is in. he's given some propylactic 'treatment' by her pedia.
does this mean he'd have to undergo chest x-ray as well (assuming that the medical exams happen 2-3months from now).
thank you very much, my friend.

Nursedependent,

No chext x rays for children 14 years below. So your wonderful baby will not get any radiation.:chuckle

Leah, do not worry it is not automatic visa denial. get treatment right now and bring all those documents (x-rays, etc.) on your scheduled medical.

Don't worry! God is great!

Nurse Dependent · Jan 28, 2006

No chext x rays for children 14 years below. So your wonderful baby will not get any radiation.:chuckle
Don't worry! God is great!

oh, thanks fort hat reassurance, my friend.

glad to see you back on the saddle.

hope to finally meet you and your family!

lawrence01 · Jan 29, 2006

Not quite correct. A TB skin test, called a Mantoux, will give a false positive reading with a recent BCG, and that means that all children will automatically test positive. That is why a chest x-ray is required for everyone as part of their physical exam, no matter which country that you are from. And they will not wait for a sputum, that can take weeks. Treatment will automatically be started, especially if they have never been treated before. To get an absolute positive via a culture takes weeks for it to grow. Not overnight like some other bacteria.

Yes, I was talking about the TB skin test as being the screening test that gives false positives for children vaccinated w/ BCG. Sorry, if I left it out as I thought it was already understood and sputum cultures also are only done on adults and older children but as you've said it takes time to culture it. I was just pointing out that sputum cultures are the confirmatory test to properly classify the disease and to address her concerns of her husband and child to being infectious.

I don't know what's the protocol would be used for US-bound healthcare prof. and their immediate family, whether or not CXR and skin tests would be enough and if they'll start the theraphy by just that two diagnostic tests (of course for young children this is enough) but the STANDARD (usual) protocol is to have a baseline sputum culture (if physically possible) to properly classify it and therefore properly treat it to avoid multi-drug resistance.

For young children, there's gen. no problem and std. treatment regimen can be started ASAP esp. if it's just primary TB. For adults, it's quite diff. (in the Phils. at least) and is another story.

Unfortunately only gov't doctors are strict about this and would only give and start the free full-course therapy upon the pending sputum culture as they base their therapy from it. However, private doctors may just go for the "shot-gun" approach and just start the std. triple/quadruple therapy right away not knowing that the patient may have already developed multi-drug resistance to some of the std. drugs and must be given alt. drugs instead w/c the patient has not developed resistance to it, and if the sputum culture (w/c will be done anyway during the course one way or the other) results shows multi-drug resistance to the initial drugs given then the initial drugs was totally useless and a waste of money. Most Fil. are already resistant to the std. drugs even to the std. quadruple therapy (some even to the second-line drugs).

Then again I don't know what the protocol will be for US-bound migrants (esp. heathcare prof. and their immediate family) as dhel said no CXR for 14 and below.