Tuberculosis (TB) Test

To work in healthcare, daycare or schools, for an immigration case or because you were in contact with someone who is sick: the tuberculosis test is requested for many reasons, and there are two ways to do it. At Clínica Hispana Nueva Salud Pasadena we tell you which one fits your case and give you a documented result.

Skin test or blood test?

The skin test (PPD or Mantoux) is given with a small injection under the skin of the forearm and read 48 to 72 hours later: you must return to the clinic for the reading. It is the one employers and schools usually request. The blood test (IGRA) is done with a single draw, requires no return visit and is not affected by the BCG vaccine many of us received as children in Latin America; it is the one USCIS requires for the immigration exam and the best choice if you had BCG.

What does a positive result mean?

That at some point your body had contact with the tuberculosis bacteria, not that you are sick. Most positives are latent infection: the bacteria is dormant, you are not contagious and you have no symptoms. To rule out active disease, a chest X-ray is ordered and symptoms such as a cough lasting more than three weeks, fever, night sweats or weight loss are reviewed. With a normal X-ray, the process continues and, depending on the case, preventive treatment is offered.

What if I had the BCG vaccine?

The skin test can give a false positive because of the vaccine. If you know you had it, the blood test is best from the start; if you already had the skin test and it was positive, the blood test helps clarify.

How is the skin test read?

The induration, the hardened bump, is measured, not the redness. The cutoff for a positive depends on your risk: 5 mm in close contacts or people with weak immunity, 10 mm in healthcare workers, people from countries where tuberculosis is common or people with diabetes, and 15 mm in everyone else. If you do not return for the reading within 72 hours, the test is void and must be repeated.

How much does a tuberculosis test cost in Pasadena?

We give you the price of the skin test, which includes the reading, and of the blood test by phone at (281) 747-8817. No health insurance is needed; we accept cash and cards.

What should I bring?

A photo ID, your employer's, school's or case form if you were given one, and previous tuberculosis results or X-rays if you have them. Walk in from 9 AM to 9 PM; for the skin test, pick a day when you can return 48 to 72 hours later.

Related services

For the immigration exam, the blood test is part of the process: immigration medical exam. The draw is done under blood tests. If you have a persistent cough, it is evaluated under respiratory illnesses.

Medical center near you in Pasadena and Houston, TX

We are a Hispanic clinic in the Houston, TX area: we care for patients across Pasadena and South Houston, South Belt, Genoa, Sagemont, Galena Park, Deer Park, Hobby (Houston) and surrounding communities.