TB Test (for overseas UB application)

Booked her a TB- testing near us (DTAP Kovan) and my poor girl was poked twice but he couldn’t draw out anything from her. Blood should be vacumned out into the vial automatically but nothing happened. Thin blood vessels she has as what doc says. On the contrary, doctors love me coz mine is very easy. No wonder! Everybody wants to drain my 🩸 including my kids. When I got back and told the man what happened, he mentioned that it’s the same for him so they had to draw blood from his hand. Err…… same for her but nothing too. I wondered if the lack of squeeze ball affects at all? Anyway, whack her arms and hands so many times also macam no use.  

In the end the doctor only charged us $10.70 coz he initially insisted FOC for us but I also felt bad that he had to waste one kit - QuantiFERON - TB Gold Plus so he charged me an 意识意识 amount😆. 

In between the 2 attempts, while he was smacking her again, I asked if can use legs? All the while I thought it’s the back of the knee but doctor clarified it’s the ankle. When I asked him the question, che-che gave me that “what the heck r u up to? I’m the one subjected to pokings not u.” look. Decided against it and asked for other alternatives. 

There is another way - prick test which requires 2 visitation 48hrs apart. I asked doctor to help me double check that it’s the test that is required/ stated in the forms I wouldn’t want to bring her do a test to only have done a wrong test. 

PPD stands for purified protein derivative is a skin test used to diagnose silent (latent) tuberculosis infection. 

extracted from : https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/testing/tbtesttypes.htm

The TB skin test is also called the Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST). A TB skin test requires two visits with a health care provider.
On the first visit the test is placed; on the second visit the health care provider reads the test.

• The TB skin test is performed by injecting a small amount of fluid (called tuberculin) into the skin on the lower part of the arm.
• A person given the tuberculin skin test must return within 48 to 72 hours to have a trained health care worker look for a reaction on the arm.
• The result depends on the size of the raised, hard area or swelling.

T-spot TB test requires only a one time visit and doctor will need your precious lovely 🩸 as well. So this option is out for che-che. 

How does it work? 

Difference between QuantiFERON-TB Gold and T-SPOT

The wT-SPOT. TB test detects individual memory T cells that produce IFN-γ in response to M. tuberculosis antigens, using the enzyme-linked immunospot technique. The QuantiFERON-TB Gold test measures IFN-γ in the supernatant of antigen-stimulated cells by enzyme-linked immunoassay.

He tried for the second time and wasn’t successful. I’ll blog about her PPD test next time. I think I’ll have to delay a week + later as next week will be lil’ one’s finals, I’ll have problem shuttling between two kids. Have to find a suitable timing for test too coz her uni schedule is so weird.