Mantoux reaction: various interpretations of sample results

Beginning with one-year-old age, Mantoux samples are taken every year to prevent tuberculosis . This procedure is the first popular and simple means for recognizing the presence of a tuberculous infection in a child's body. With the help of a small injection (after 72 hours), a control diagnosis is carried out, which is to measure the size of the reddened area from the injection.

The Mantoux reaction can not always give an unambiguous answer about infection. Many factors affect the reliability of this procedure. First of all, improper care of a place from a nyxis and individual features of an organism of the child are capable to distort the correct answer.

Nevertheless, when deciphering the results that the Mantoux reaction gave, it is customary to adhere to the following principles.

The reaction to the Mantoux test is recognized as negative, if 72 hours after the introduction of tuberculin, only a trace of the injection remains on the baby's skin.

A doubtful Mantoux reaction is recognized in cases when a seal of 2-4 mm in diameter appeared on the site of the injection or a reddening of the skin appeared on the spot from the injection.

The greatest concern for specialists and parents is a positive reaction to the sample. If a seal with a diameter of 5 mm or more appears at the injection site, the Mantoux reaction is recognized as positive. Within the positive reaction, there is an additional gradation to a moderately positive reaction (seal diameter within 5-10 mm), positive (seal size within 11-16 mm) and a hyperergic reaction (seal greater than 17 mm or more, or at the injection site Appeared vesicles).

Polyclinics, hospitals, preschools and schools are places where diagnostic and preventive activities are carried out with children: vaccination, Mantoux. Reaction to any of the procedures is subject to subsequent close monitoring by medical personnel, which allows to identify and solve health problems in a timely manner in the child.

The interpretation of the reaction to the Mantoux test may not be correct, due to various deviations and individual characteristics of the babies.

In this case, there is a false-negative reaction, which indicates the absence of tuberculosis infection while the fact of infection of the tubercle bacillus was detected.

The causes of a false negative response of an organism can be:

-Anergy;

- recently transferred infection;

- small age of the child and weak immunity.

Anergy leads to the inability of immunity to respond to the tuberculin stimulus. A similar situation is possible in cases of immunodeficiency diseases, including AIDS. In such a situation, a repeated Mantoux test is carried out with an increased tuberculin content, a medical examination is also required to detect abnormalities in health.

A recent infectious disease also contributes to an incorrect response to Mantoux. If the child has had the infection within 10 weeks before the test, then most likely, it will be done repeatedly after aging for 10 weeks, allowing the body to recover about the disease and then give the right response.

Small age is also capable of distorting the true situation with the presence or absence of a tubercle bacillus in the body. Due to the underdeveloped cell link in the children's immune system at the age of less than 6 months, the answer to the Mantoux test may not follow at all.

The reverse situation arises with a false positive response, meaning that the Mantoux test showed the presence of tuberculosis infection, while the fact of infection of the child with a Koch stick did not find confirmation. The causes of such a reaction may be concealed in the infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria, allergies, a recent disease or vaccination.

All of the aforementioned false reactions prove that there is no one-sided and categorical answer, which Mantus should be, due to the many deviations from the standards of development of children and the conditions for the production of the sample.