In two or three days, a nurse or a doctor will check to see if there is a reaction to the test. This bump means a person probably has TB infection. However, they may develop TB disease at some time in the future. People with TB infection but are not yet sick can take medicine so that they will never develop TB disease. A TB skin test is the only way to detect TB infection.
People can get a skin tested at the health department or at their doctor's office.
Not everybody is at the same risk for TB infection and, therefore, do not to be tested. If a person has a positive reaction to the skin test, a doctor or nurse may do other tests to see if TB disease is present. These tests usually include a chest x-ray and a test of the phlegm people cough up. Because the TB bacteria may be found somewhere besides the lungs, a doctor or nurse may check the blood or urine, or do other tests. Persons with TB disease need to take medicine to cure the disease.