<p>My son’s college did not require a tb test as he was not at much risk. The pediatrician yesterday did suggest it since there is much tb in our area. I am not inclined to insist; I haven’t had a test myself in decades. Has anyone else run into this?</p>
<p>D’s college did insist, and somehow we did not find out until quite shortly before she left. We had to scramble, as her work schedule for going back and getting the test checked did not match the doctor’s office hours 
Ended up having to go to the urgent care part of their office to get her result checked so she could go to college… It was negative.</p>
<p>I had to get it because I’ve traveled to countries on whatever list there is. I couldn’t make it back to my doctor, but both my parents are doctors and they just called in and said it was negative. I felt it for a bit longer than I usually feel shots, but it wasn’t an inconvenience in any other way.</p>
<p>I have to get it every year for my degree. I have always gotten it at the health center oncampus…</p>
<p>Since DD traveled outside the country to places that were flagged as TB regions by her college medical center, she had to get a test - luckily, negative. I was really hoping for a negative result because the TST test most places use gives lots of false positives. I was advised by a friend who works in the medical diagnostics field to insist on repeat testing using a more specific and sensitive test if DD’s test came back positive:</p>
<p>[CDC</a> | TB | Fact Sheets | QuantiFERON-TB Gold Test](<a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/testing/QFT.htm]CDC”>http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/testing/QFT.htm)</p>
<p>This test can also be used to avoid false positive TST readings due to prior BCG vaccinations (not done in the US, but still used in parts of the world).</p>
<p>For whatever reason when S2 (rising college freshman) went for his physical last week, the office did run a TB test. It may have been on the college form; I honestly did not pay that much attention and since he went to the appointment on his own, he went with it. It was negative.</p>
<p>DD had a TB test for her college physical (it was required). It came back positive so she had to have a chest xray and some other test. She has had a regular TB test every year since and they have all been negative. Go figure.</p>
<p>Both DS and DD have had to have annual TSTs since they first started working.
Son as a substitute teacher in public school and DD for job samplings in day care and nursing homes in her special needs high school.
We are in NJ. Perhaps it is related to prevalence of TB?</p>
<p>Thumper, the skin test most widely used for latent tb detection is less than perfect. It gives a lot of false positives. I told my D to refuse to go for an x-Ray and insist on getting a much more accurate quantiferon test. It was probably not available in the US when your D was tested. It costs more than the skin test, but I’d rather pay extra than subject my still growing child to cancer-causing radiation.</p>
<p>My DD volunteers at a hospital in New Jersey and they require volunteers and staff to get a TB test every 6 months.</p>
<p>The school that my son is going to requires it for all incoming students.</p>
<p>She has never had another xray since that first one. I agree…wouldn’t allow it. Clearly, hers was a false positive. Her doctor knew that but the kid needed something to verify that she did NOT have TB…immediately so she could go to college. It was a PITA that fortunately was resolved quickly. </p>
<p>I don’t remember what the second test was…it was some swanky blood test, I think. Could that be right?</p>
<p>D had to get one before she could do her job-shadow at a healthcare facility. That worked out well, because 3 months later we found out her college requires one before she can live in the dorm. It only had to be within the last 12 months so she was all set!</p>
<p>It’s not as ridiculous as it sounds; her grandfather has TB. It was found after he completed chemo for lymphoma. They don’t know if he’d been exposed previously but his body fought it off until he was immuno-compromised by the chemo, or if he got it while he was on chemo. But he’s being treated for it.</p>
<p>You don’t want the TB tine test where they poke the skin with 4-6 sharp “tines.” You want a PPD. That is where a tiny syringe injects fluide just under the skin. It looks like a “bite” just after it is in. The tine test has too many false readings. The PPD is not perfect but better than the other.</p>
<p>Around here they don’t do the tine test any more, they only do the one with the injection under the skin.</p>
<p>I just had my physical for college, but the TB was optional depending on if you had certain symptoms or conditions. If you answered “yes” to either of 5 questions, you were required to get the test. If not, then you didn’t have to.</p>
<p>I didn’t have to.</p>
<p>I got enough shots though… >></p>
<p>sunnyflorida, take a look at the Quantiferon Gold test - it requires blood draw, but it is the most accurate test for latent TB at the present time, as I was told by a guy who used to be a big shot at a certain governmental health agency. From Wikipedia:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If the test results are positive, further tests (sputum culture or PCR) can show whether the person has a latent or active form of TB. And no, I do not work for the maker of this test. :)</p>
<p>My son had to have a TB test for his college. The requirement was that it needed to have been done after March (if I remember correctly). He’d had one in January. I called the school - no exceptions, January wasn’t good enough, he needed another one.</p>
<p>My son’s school required it for health care majors, so he had it done. Daughter’s school only required it if you’ve traveled to certain countries, Mexico being one of the countries. She absolutely hates shots so I asked her pediatrician what she thought. Pediatrician thought she could skip it, as her chances were so low. How contagious is TB and do most people exhibit symptoms?</p>
<p>My kids didn’t have to get it for college- but they had to get it every year when they worked at the zoo.</p>