Advisor to the Director of the Central Research Institute of Tuberculosis of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for Medical Work, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation Igor Stepanyan:
- Wetting manta has never been banned. The fact is that many confuse the mantoux and the Pirquet test, which was canceled 50 years ago, if not more. When the Pirquet test was done, tuberculin was first applied to the skin, and then scratched it, so it was impossible to wet this place. The Mantoux test is done intradermally, and you can wet it. However, if the sample is combed, it may affect the assessment of the result. A combed sample will simulate infection with tuberculosis.
Both the Mantoux test and Diaskintest have their own characteristics, they are used in different situations. According to the instructions, first young children are given a Mantoux test, and if its result gives cause for concern, the result will be positive, then they already do Diaskintest.
Therapist, allergist-immunologist Irina Yartseva:
- In fact, the Mantoux test could always be wet, this is not news to doctors. For a very long time, doctors have not told patients that the Mantoux test allegedly cannot be wet. What you really can't do is rub the place of the dough.
As for which test is more accurate - the Mantoux test or diaskintest, they are generally similar, the difference is small. Therefore, there is no need to abandon the Mantoux test. With its help, we determine whether a person has ever been in contact with a tuberculosis infection, and not whether he himself is sick. Why such tests are made for children is explained simply.
- Image of tuberculosis pathogens
- Gettyimages.ru
Throughout life, about 90% of people somehow encounter the causative agent of tuberculosis. And children, due to age, do not yet have time to contact with the infection, while they are more vulnerable to the disease than adults, due to the characteristics of the immune system. Therefore, we are especially attentive to the condition of children.
At the same time, by about the age of 15, most children are already faced with tuberculosis. This can be seen in the Mantoux test - there is a strong reaction to it. After that, this diagnostic method is no longer used.
"Diaskintest" does not track the fact of contacts, but the already active stage of the disease. But it can also give a false positive result if a person had a close contact with the causative agent of tuberculosis in childhood, which provoked a very strong immune response. For example, this reaction is often observed in the case of elderly patients, since in the past tuberculosis was more common than now. In this case, other tests are needed.
But to identify contacts with tuberculosis in children, it makes no sense to use any alternative mantoux tests and analyzes. "Diaskintest" can be done, but if we already know for sure that the child had contact with the causative agent of tuberculosis.
Doing a Mantoux test is very important. The fact is that tuberculosis has long ceased to be an antisocial disease, it is common in ordinary, quite prosperous strata of society.