wayfaringmd:

Got my PPD recently and freaked out a little because it was indurated (on a PPD skin test for tuberculosis, redness is irrelevant. What matters is the size of a hard swelling, aka induration). While driving to employee health to get it checked I was thinking “less than 10mm, less than 10mm, less than 10mm”.

I’ve had probably 6 TB skin tests since I came back from India, where I volunteered (mask-less) in a TB clinic. Usually I get a red spot, but no induration. I have had exactly ONE patient with active TB in the US, and I had convinced myself in the car that this guy had turned me positive. 

When the nurse felt it, at first she was sure it was negative. Then she felt it again and was like, “well maybe we should measure it and be sure”. Visions of yearly chest x-rays and a list of rifampin side effects flashed through my head. 

She measured 7mm, which I’m not sure was entirely right (she did it different than I’ve ever seen it done), but I’m ok with it. 

But I have to get a second one soon (don’t get me started on why I think this is stupid), so cross your fingers and hope for no induration! 

I have an adverse reaction to the PPD test where I always turn positive.

The first time I tested positive was in high school when I was beginning to do my clinical rotations throughout the hospital

Literally everyone freaked out and I had to get a Chest X-Ray and even though it was negative I ended up spending 9 months on Isonizad