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Top of the page. Test Overview A tuberculin skin test also called a Mantoux tuberculin test is done to see if you have ever been exposed to tuberculosis TB. Health care workers who are likely to be exposed to TB. People with TB symptoms, such as an ongoing cough, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss. People who have had an abnormal chest X-ray. People who have had a recent organ transplant or have an impaired immune system , such as those with human immunodeficiency virus HIV.

A tuberculin skin test should not be done for people: With a known TB infection. Who have had a previous severe reaction to the TB antigens. Who have a skin rash that would make it hard to read the skin test. How To Prepare In general, there's nothing you have to do before this test, unless your doctor tells you to. How It Is Done For a tuberculin skin test, you sit down and turn the inner side of your forearm up.

How It Feels You may feel a quick sting or pinch from the needle. Risks There is a very slight risk of having a severe reaction to the tuberculin skin test, especially if you've had tuberculosis TB. A tuberculin skin test is safe for women who are pregnant or who breastfeed. Results Redness alone at the skin test site usually means you haven't been infected with TB bacteria. Three levels of risk have been defined: High-risk group. Moderate-risk group.

Low-risk group. A diagnosis of latent TB infection is made if a person has a positive TB test result and a medical evaluation does not indicate TB disease.

TB disease is diagnosed by medical history, physical examination, chest x-ray, and other laboratory tests. TB disease is treated by taking several drugs as recommended by a health care provider.

There are several treatment regimens for the treatment of latent TB infection. These regimens use the drugs isoniazid, rifapentine, or rifampin.

Short-course regimens include: Three months of once-weekly isoniazid plus rifapentine 3HP , four months of daily rifampin 4R , or three months of daily isoniazid plus rifampin 3HR. Short-course latent TB infection treatments are effective, are safe, and have higher completion rates than longer treatments. If a short-course treatment regimen is not an option, 6H or 9H is an effective alternative latent TB infection treatment regimen. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

Tuberculosis TB. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Fact Sheets. Minus Related Pages. Open All Close All. What is it? How is the TST Administered? How is the TST Read? 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.

Additional tests are needed to determine if the person has latent TB infection or TB disease. There is no problem in repeating a TB skin test. If repeated, the additional test should be placed in a different location on the body e. Includes guidance for administration, reading, and interpreting TSTs. Note: to remove the watermark on the document, click on the document's footer then click on the watermark text.

The skin test reaction should be read between 48 and 72 hours after administration. The reaction should be measured in millimeters of induration palpable, raised, hardened area or swelling.

Do not measure erythema redness.