Tuberculosis Tests Overview

Tuberculosis is a contagious disease that affects the respiratory system. It was once considered a pandemic and incurable, leading to thousands of deaths caused by the condition. Though tuberculosis can be managed today, it is still a dangerous health condition with a significant mortality rate. Tuberculosis tests, as you can imagine, are used by doctors to diagnose the condition based on symptoms reported by patients. Based on the test results, doctors can formulate a treatment plan for patients. These tests can be used to monitor active treatment efforts and their success in containing this respiratory infection.

Why Are Tuberculosis Tests Prescribed?

Tuberculosis tests are prescribed in cases where patients present symptoms such as:

• A persistent cough that doesn’t go away
• Blood present in phlegm that comes out with a cough
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of appetite
• Profuse sweating at night
• Fever with chills
• Unexplained weight loss

These symptoms can be indicative of a tuberculosis infection and a TB blood test is the best way to diagnose the symptoms and understand the root cause of the symptoms.

How Are Tuberculosis Tests Performed?

A tuberculosis screening test is performed as a general blood test and also as a skin test in some cases. For a TB blood test, the procedure involves drawing blood from the veins in the patient’s forearm and sending it for testing to the laboratory. The test results are generally conclusive for these tests and doctors can diagnose tuberculosis using these tests.

The skin tuberculosis tests are performed by pricking the skin of the patient’s forearm with a small amount of tuberculin. If there’s hardness in the area of the prick or its raised the following day, it could indicate a positive for TB infection. The size of the reaction determines the extent of the infection.

Home Sample Collection

Aster Labs is proud to offer home sample collection for tuberculosis tests. Our experts reach your location at a predetermined time and help you go through the testing process with ease. As tuberculosis is a contagious disease, our experts take every measure necessary to ensure your safety as well as the safety of others.

How To Prepare For Tuberculosis Tests?

Tuberculosis tests do not require any specific prerequisites to be followed by patients. These tests are prescribed to patients who are showing symptoms and also to patients who have been in active contact with people who are affected by an active tuberculosis infection.

What Does Tuberculosis Test Results Mean?

The results of tuberculosis tests are expressed in either negative or positive. A negative test result means no active tuberculosis infection and a positive result means possible tuberculosis infection. The same applies for a TB blood test and tuberculosis screening tests. Based on the test results, doctors recommend a treatment plan in case of positive test results.