Tuberculosis continues to be a major health problem in the United States.
Recently, the number of reported cases has been rising, with 1,596 cases of childhood tuberculosis reported in 1990. In addition, a new tuberculosis germ has developed that is resistant to the standard treatment of multiple antibiotics. High-risk children should be tested every year. This forms a small bump. Forty-eight to 72 hours after this injection, the size of the bump is measured to determine whether the patient may be infected with tuberculosis.