United Kingdom
A 45-year-old female asked:
can a person always test positive , if they have had tb in the past.
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Dwain Rickertsen answered
Family Medicine 36 years experience
Family practice : Yes you would test positive once you have had it. Make sure you were treated for it then follow up with chest x-rays if needed.
5036 views
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Similar questions
A 47-year-old member asked:
Can you still become a paramedic if you had TB in the past?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Heidi Fowler answered
Psychiatry 25 years experience
Latent TB: I don't know if you would be required to have the latent TB infection treated or not. Treatments include: isoniazid, rifapentine, Rifampin or combinations. The big problem would be if you had TB disease.
5082 views
United Kingdom
A 45-year-old female asked:
Will always test positive to TB if u have had before. But it has been cured?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

Dr. Martin Raff answered
Infectious Disease 56 years experience
Probably: Positive PPD skin test means you have living mycobacterium tuberculosis in your body. You may never develop active disease, but potential for reactivation is always there, but if you have been treated, the risk is minimal. If you ever require immune suppression in treatment for another condition be sure and let the doctor know that you have inactive tuberculosis and do not get tested ever again.
5036 views
West Covina, CA
A 27-year-old female asked:
Will TB test be positive if one had primary complex?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Lynne Weixel answered
Clinical Psychology 36 years experience
Yes, I think so.: It may not be an absolute certainty, but i would advise the physician of the fact that there was a primary complex diagnosed and treated (assuming it was) either before the TB test or at the time of results if they are positive. I have never had positive results, but i was told that i had a primary complex - i always tell them the history just to be informationally complete. Best!
4910 views
A 34-year-old female asked:
If i tested negative from a TB test and had been around someone who tested positive am i at risk of contracting tb?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

Dr. Kenneth Horlander answered
Pulmonology 50 years experience
TB risk: Yes, the PPD test is not 100%. You might want to get it repeated a month later to see if it is booster positive. Of course it is also possible that you didn't catch it. Many doctors are around people with TB a lot and never catch it.
4762 views
CA
A female asked:
I haven't had a TB test in years and yesterday the spot flared up. What could cause this to happen?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Georgia Latham answered
Family Medicine 35 years experience
Seroconversion: If you are referring the spot where you had a TB test done within the past 1 - 3 days, then it is an indication that you have either seroconverted or that you have develop a sensitivity to the testing. When a person seroconverted, it important for them to have further evaluation, usually a chest xray. If it is a spot from a TB test years ago, it does not have anything to do with the TB test.
3479 views
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Last updated Jul 23, 2016
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