Why It Is Impossible To Wet Mantoux, Including Children

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

You can wet the mantu: why were we scared in childhood and why this prohibition does not make sense

The Mantoux test is done annually to children of preschool and school age. Everyone has heard that Mantoux cannot be soaked, but few know what the ban is based on. Some doctors even say that the water does not affect the readings of the sample in any way. Who to believe and whether it is possible to wet Mantoux, I propose to learn from the article.

Mantoux: what is it

Many people consider Mantoux to be a vaccine, although this is just a diagnostic method. It consists in the intradermal administration of tuberculin, a preparation made from killed mycobacteria, which are the causative agents of tuberculosis in their living form. The skin at the injection site swells a little, and by the diameter of the seal - papules - doctors judge the presence of an infectious process in the body. In a healthy person, the papule remains unchanged or increases slightly. The immune system of a person in contact with a tubercle bacillus responds to the injection of tuberculin with an increase in papules and redness around it.

Tuberculin is injected with a disposable syringe with a fine needle on the inner side of the forearm

This method of diagnosing tuberculosis was proposed in 1924 by Charles Mantoux, after whom the test was named. The Mantoux reaction is checked in children from one to 14 years old, as well as in adults after contact with a tuberculosis patient. It is impossible to get sick after the introduction of tuberculin, as well as to protect against infection with the help of Mantoux is just a diagnostic method.

In the place where the reagent was injected, a papule is formed - a whitish tubercle protruding above the skin surface, similar to a button, inside which tuberculin is located, it is it that is measured, and not redness around

Is it possible to wet Mantoux

To get reliable results, Mantoux is advised not to wet. This recommendation dates back to the 70s of the XX century, when they tested for tuberculosis by applying a reagent to the skin - the Pirquet or Koch test. The contact of liquid on a superficial wound could really wash the tuberculin out of the scratch. Since Mantoux is injected into the skin, water does not reach the reagent. The "button" should not be wetted for the first hour after insertion to allow the puncture site to tighten. The prohibition of any contact with water is nothing more than an outdated myth. However, a few tips must be followed before checking the results of the Mantoux test:

• you can take a shower, but it is undesirable to sit in the bathroom for a long time. The crust covering the puncture site can soften and allow water to flow to the tuberculin;
• do not rub the puncture site if water gets on it. Better to get wet with gentle movements;

• glue the "button" is not worth it. The patch will raise the temperature of the skin beneath it, the pores will expand and water can enter.

  

  It is necessary to ensure that a child with a Mantoux test does not wet it in a puddle, because there are a lot of bacteria that can distort the test result, once it gets into a wound

Liquid spills can result in a false positive test result. A positive Mantoux reaction does not mean that the patient has tuberculosis, but only a predisposition to this disease. To obtain an accurate diagnosis, people with a positive Mantoux are prescribed more serious tests, which people with a negative result can avoid. In order not to undergo unnecessary checks, it is better not to wet the Mantoux 2-3 days after the injection.

In the second grade, I was registered with a phthisiatrician with an enlarged Mantoux papule. They rechecked several times, but fortunately no other signs of the disease were found. Once I wet my hand, the papule was enlarged, but no more than at other times. Visits to the TB dispensary are long over, but I do not allow my son to violate the recommendations. Constant examinations, and even a suspicion of tuberculosis, are unpleasant at any age.

Video: Dr. Komarovsky about Mantoux

If you accidentally wet Mantoux, do not panic, but it is not recommended to put your hand under the water for a long time. Those who ignore this advice may be assigned a number of additional examinations that could have been avoided.