Mantoux is a mandatory test that all children do. The procedure itself is considered very simple and practically does not bring any pain. They do it annually, but there is a belief that the child should not have symptoms of a cold on the day the vaccine is given. Even the slightest inflammatory process can give a false positive result. Thanks to vaccination, doctors can easily determine the possible presence of tuberculosis pathogens in the child's body. This disease is quite dangerous for the life of all people. In addition, it is easily transmitted from one person to another.
What kinds of reactions are there?
Each child is different in their reaction to the described manipulation. For example, if there are no manifestations on the skin at the injection site, then the result is considered negative. The presence of even a slight swelling and a red spot indicates a positiveMantoux test. Many parents, at the sight of an enlarged papule, immediately begin to panic, since earlier such a reaction indicated infection with tuberculosis. Thanks to the development of modern medicine, this opinion has been refuted, because the appearance of redness and swelling can also indicate other reasons that have nothing to do with this rather terrible lung disease.
As already mentioned, the Mantoux test can be negative and positive. If the injection site has increased significantly, then this indicates the impact of various causes of an increase in Mantoux in a child.
Allergy
In childhood, the manifestation of an allergic reaction of various etiologies gives a positive result of the Mantoux test. If the parents diagnosed this pathology in the child in advance and were able to identify the exact allergen, then doctors advise a few days before the expected date of the vaccine to exclude possible contact with it. It is also recommended that such precautions be taken until the he alth worker records the result of the test.
Of course, it is not always possible to identify the exact cause of the development of an allergic reaction in a child, since this takes a long period of time. In this case, it is necessary to completely eliminate the contact of the child's body with the following possible allergens, which are the causes of the increased Mantoux in the child (the body's reaction to them):
- pet;
- foods that are red in color;
- sweet foods;
- drugs.
How to treat?
If the reason for the positive result of the Mantoux test was precisely allergy, then the child should receive certain medications that are part of the antihistamine group. Such an appointment should only be made by a qualified doctor. The drug must be given immediately before the manipulation and during the period of time until the results are recorded.
With a positive test, many pediatricians advise to undergo a re-examination. Before doing this, it is important to inform the doctor about the presence of symptoms of an allergic disease.
Reaction to drugs
In the modern world, everything is so complicated that sometimes in the medical industry there is a lack of correspondence between drugs. It is not uncommon for medicines or vaccines to be of very poor quality. Do not forget about this factor when establishing the reasons that could cause the development of a positive Mantoux reaction.
The described sample is given to all children free of charge, so the vaccine itself may be of poor quality. And if it even slightly does not meet the established standards, then in almost all patients it can provoke the appearance of a false indicator. Many doctors, after fixing a positive test, recommend that parents conduct an additional examination, but in another medical institution. You can even go to a private clinic, where they will re-manipulate. Thanks to this, you will have severalresults that will remain to compare and draw preliminary conclusions.
Medical mistakes
In medical practice, the presence of the human factor should always be taken into account. It is under his influence that the Mantoux reaction may show the wrong result. All parents, especially young children, are accustomed to completely trust what their doctors say. But, of course, even a qualified employee is capable of making mistakes, like all people around. This happens for a number of reasons:
- there is no sufficient level of knowledge in this direction;
- lack of practical experience;
- incorrect sample measurement tool used;
- a mechanical error occurs, as there was a significant load during the working day (a large flow of children and a long review of results).
If the doctor has established an increased sample, but not everything is so bad at the injection site, then it is recommended to calm down and analyze the information received. It is best to ask another specialist to see Manta, who is more qualified and has a lot of experience.
Reason for positive response
In modern medical practice, there are many cases where all Mantoux reactions in children are positive. This is due solely to the characteristics of the body of small patients. For such a child, the introduction of the vaccine will always end with the appearance of redness and swelling. A positive result in this casedoes not indicate a lung problem. A phthisiatrician examines an enlarged Mantoux in a child. If the reaction proceeds according to this scenario, then you should not worry ahead of time. Typically, immunosuppressed children have perfectly he althy lungs.
For such an unusual phenomenon, there are established reasons why the Mantoux is increased in a child.
Heredity
First of all, it concerns hereditary predisposition. For example, if one of the blood relatives had just such a reaction to the introduction of tuberculin, then the child will inherit this feature.
Unhe althy diet
The presence in the diet of a large amount of protein, which is found in chicken eggs, meat, milk and products produced with its use. Approximately 3 days before vaccination, it is recommended to eliminate or minimize the consumption of this food.
All of these reasons that affect the receipt of a false positive Mantoux reaction can bring a sense of joy and relief to parents. This is especially true of receiving a refutation of such a terrible diagnosis as pulmonary tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis
The most dangerous reason for an increase in the Mantoux test is infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Of course, in most young patients, the further formation of the disease does not occur, but still the child goes into the risk group. This is what is important for parents to remember and carefully monitor the state of the immune system of their child. He shouldn't havedevelop colds and other diseases that affect the respiratory system. If ambiguities persist, it is recommended to seek help from specialists at the TB dispensary. The specialists of this institution offer a second Pirquet test. This research method has practically no differences from the Mantoux reaction, but the result is more accurate. All people who had close contact with this child, and he himself, are advised to undergo an appropriate examination. It's about fluoroscopy. After receiving all the results in hand, the doctor makes a conclusion and informs about the presence or absence of reasons for concern.
Receiving a positive Mantoux result should not cause panic. It is important to seek medical help in a timely manner and undergo the prescribed examination. This will prevent unnecessary worries, and the child will not need to undergo many procedures.
What to do with an enlarged Mantoux in a child?
Specialists have their own rules when analyzing the Mantoux reaction. If in a child its size exceeds 17 mm, then such a seal on the surface of the skin is large. This reaction is called hyperergic. The “button” itself, which remains after the introduction of the vaccine, will be recognized as large if its size has increased by at least 6 mm. The doctor must necessarily compare the indicators obtained earlier.
Previously, only the vaccine was called negative, which did not even leave any trace at the injection site. If Mantoux is at least 4 mm, thenhe alth workers treated it as a sign of infection and sent it in for testing.
Everyone knows that when tuberculin is introduced into a he althy organism, the reaction will be negative. True, this can only be attributed to adult patients. For example, when contacting a phthisiatrician after contacting a person who has an open form of tuberculosis, Mantoux will be prescribed. If even a small trace remains at the injection site, this will cause the doctor's suspicions.
In medicine, there are two types of increased Mantoux test in a child that appears after the introduction of the vaccine. The presence of redness is called hyperemia, and the appearance of a tumor and induration is called a papule. In young children, the size of the papule itself is usually assessed, but not the presence of redness. If there is a spot of 2 mm at the injection site, then this vaccination shows a negative result. A comprehensive examination is recommended for papule size from 5 mm. Infection is unambiguously diagnosed when the vaccine size is 2 centimeters or more.
Additional signs of tuberculosis include not only the presence of a large papule, but also a number of other symptoms. For example, if you press on the skin at the injection site, you will notice a clearer outline of the spot. In addition, the papule becomes bright red and does not disappear even after a week. Gradually, its surface becomes pigmented and acquires a brown tint.
Recommendations
In the absence of additional symptoms, we can not talk about infectiontuberculosis, but a simple allergic reaction. In addition, quite often the papule becomes large in violation of the rules for caring for it. If you neglect the tips below, then the result of the Mantoux test will be simply spoiled.
- Clothes should be comfortable and only from natural raw materials.
- Sleeves should not be in close contact with the skin, especially at the injection site.
- Do not rub or scratch the injection site as this will cause excessive redness.
- Moisture or dirt should not get on the wound itself.
- You should not treat the skin around the vaccination with any drugs. Many of them simply cause redness due to irritation.
- It has already been said about the complete exclusion of products that can provoke the development of an allergic reaction.
- After contracting an infectious disease, it is important to first treat it and wait another month after recovery, and then you can go for a vaccination.
The presence of an increased Mantoux vaccination in a child does not always indicate infection, but a second examination can be done only after 30 days.
