Are TB Skin Tests safe?

[Lollipop2]

Does anyone know? A new job is requiring the test and I can’t find much online about its safety. Has anyone had one? Did it bother you in anyway? Thank you.

 

[Dolomite]

I had them annually for about 30 years and did not have any trouble with them. If done properly there is a blister under the skin that should not bleed but mine always seemed to. Sometimes it would look bruised but never positive. If you come from a country where they give the vaccine you should not get the skin test. So my coworkers from Costa Rica and the Philippines did not get the skin test.

 

[Lollipop2]

I had them annually for about 30 years and did not have any trouble with them. If done properly there is a blister under the skin that should not bleed but mine always seemed to. Sometimes it would look bruised but never positive. If you come from a country where they give the vaccine you should not get the skin test. So my coworkers from Costa Rica and the Philippines did not get the skin test.

Hey thank you @Dolomite! That eases my mind.

 

[Sphagnum]

A job I was taking required a TB test, and they would pay for the skin test version.
I opted to pay out of pocket for a TB Gold test, which employs a blood draw instead of them putting something in me.
For me, the peace of mind was worth it.

It was faster too, because it’s one trip to the lab/office instead of two

 

[Dolomite]

The TB Gold test is great for people who have had the BCG vaccine. It is expensive, though.

 

[Lollipop2]

A job I was taking required a TB test, and they would pay for the skin test version.
I opted to pay out of pocket for a TB Gold test, which employs a blood draw instead of them putting something in me.
For me, the peace of mind was worth it.

It was faster too, because it’s one trip to the lab/office instead of two

Thank you.

 

[Lollipop2]

The TB Gold test is great for people who have had the BCG vaccine. It is expensive, though.

I also read that if the skin test comes back positive, this is the next step to see if TB is active as the antibodies detected in the skin test could have been from years before.