What does a skin test during student physical examinations check for?
May 16, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Shuwen
Introduction
The skin test conducted during student health examinations is primarily used to check for tuberculosis infection. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, commonly affecting the lungs. The tuberculin skin test is only an auxiliary diagnostic method; if the result is positive, a comprehensive diagnosis combining clinical symptoms, X-ray examination, sputum tests, and other methods is required to confirm the presence of tuberculosis.
The skin test conducted during student health examinations primarily checks for infection with tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, commonly affecting the lungs but also capable of involving other organs. The specific analysis is as follows:
The principle of the tuberculin skin test involves injecting a certain concentration of tuberculosis antigen into the skin and observing whether symptoms such as redness, swelling, or induration appear at the injection site to determine possible infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Typically, the test result should be read 48–72 hours after administration. During evaluation, the firmness and degree of redness and swelling at the injection site, as well as the surrounding skin condition, must be carefully observed.
It should be noted that the tuberculin skin test is only an auxiliary diagnostic tool and cannot alone confirm a diagnosis of tuberculosis. If the test result is positive, clinical manifestations, chest X-ray findings, sputum examination, and other methods must be combined for comprehensive assessment to determine whether active tuberculosis is present. Conversely, a negative skin test does not completely rule out tuberculosis infection, and further testing and observation may still be required.
