[PositiveThinker]

I haven't been regularly reading the site, so I apologize if this topic has already been addressed.
Our DD's TB skin test at 12 months came back abnormal. Her chest x-ray was clean. Our doctor recommended a blood test - QuantiFERON TB Gold Test to determine if she was currently infected with TB, had latent bacteria in her system, OR if the abornmal test was a reaction to the TB vaccine she received in Guatemala.
Results came back Friday - she is clear and there is no need for her to take 9 months of antibiotics. Ask your doctor about the test...here's the link to the CDC web-site info: Division of Tuberculosis Elimination | Fact Sheets | QuantiFERON-TB Gold Test

[littlegirl2]

Thank you for posting! I printed this out for future reference. Good info. to know. Thanks again!

[DeeVee]

I looked into the Quantiferon Gold test for Carolina when her PPD came back positive last year. The three specialists I conferred with all said the same thing -- that the Quantiferon Gold test was not reliable in children, and that she needed the meds.

That was a little over a year ago. Perhaps they now have new findings on the reliability of the test. Glad you DD doesn't need the meds.

[PositiveThinker]

Dee,

The CDC web-site mentions the lack of data regarding the test on kids under 17. My doctor has a colleague at CDC that she confers with...I will talk to her at our next appt. (in a week) and see what she thinks.

[pvanabel]

We had this same test with our daughter too. Skin test positive, chest x-ray and TB Gold test negative. We have her 3 year appt. in a few weeks and we will probably re-do the skin test then and go from there. Our daughter had some high liver counts too, so they couldn't put her on the meds for fear of damaging her liver.

[Mindybeth6]

When we had out +TB test last year I called the company directly and talked with a rep who told me flat out that they did not reccomend using it in children under 17 and surely not as young as Mikayla was. She said the results were just not reliable so we didn't do it. I actually appreciated them being honest instead of just doing it and taking my money, as my insurance didn't cover this test.