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(Chest. 1996;110:1275-1277.)
© 1996 American College of Chest Physicians

Patient's Self-interpretation of Tuberculin Skin Tests

Charlotte Colp MD, FCCP1; Adina Goldfarb MA1; Isaac Wei 1; and John Graney MD1

1 From the Adult Primary Care Center, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York

Background: In the outpatient use of tuberculin skin testing (purified protein derivative [PPD]), it is at times inconvenient to have a patient revisit for interpretation. Therefore, we assessed patients' ability to self-interpret these test results.

Methods: In keeping with prior custom, patients were seen by an experienced nurse, who performed skin testing with PPD intermediate strength as well as mumps and Candida anergy control tests in some cases, and explained the procedure. The patients were asked to return 48 to 72 h later, at which time one of the researchers recorded their test interpretations before they were again evaluated by the nurse.

Results: Sixty-eight patients were studied, of whom 59 returned at appropriate interval. Eighteen patients had a positive PPD test reaction of 10 to 20 mm induration, which only one patient correctly identified as a positive test result. However, positive anergy control tests were correctly interpreted in 10 of 27 cases.

Conclusion: The small number of positive PPD test result recognition by these patients may be partially attributed to their lack of education, as well as foreign birth and denial of illness. PPD results should be checked by an experienced professional.

Key Words: Mantoux test • purified protein derivative • skin test • tuberculin test

Submitted on February 13, 1996
Accepted on May 31, 2007




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