Doctors still warn children who have been injected with tuberculin and their parents that it is impossible to wet the injection site in any case. There is even a rumor that Mantu should not be wetted with water, as you can become infected with tuberculosis. The basis for the emergence of the myth that water should not be allowed to enter the hand into which the drug was injected was the diagnostic method used in the past and which is the forerunner of the tuberculin test. It's called the Pirquet test.

The method had many disadvantages, in particular, for the penetration of tuberculin, it was necessary to inflict small wounds, in other words, to scratch the skin at the site of application of the drug. The contribution of Clemens Pirquet to the history of tuberculosis diagnosis cannot be underestimated. This outstanding allergist laid the foundation for the method of Charles Mantoux, which made it possible, in principle, to detect at an early stage a disease, then called consumption, which killed hundreds of thousands of people every year.

The method of applying tuberculin directly to the skin and to the wounds made by the scarifier, of course, required minimization of external influences in order to exclude incorrect results and accidental infection. Direct contact with the area where the water sample was taken meant washing off a certain amount of the drug, which did not contribute to the necessary course of the reaction. The method of intradermal administration of tuberculin, developed by Mantoux, abolished many of the restrictions imposed during the Pirquet test. The method is a thing of the past, but the myth that it is impossible to wet the test area for some time remains. In fact, you can wet Mantoux, and there is nothing wrong with that.

So, the ingress of moisture to the injection site is not critical, and it is still allowed to wet the manta, contrary to a persistent myth. However, doctors still do not recommend doing this. Exposure to the site of tuberculin water testing can indeed affect the results.

If the child wets the test site, nothing will happen, even if it happened on the first day. It is necessary to gently blot the trapped water without rubbing. But prolonged contact with water can cause the reaction to go wrong. Prolonged exposure to water can trigger an allergic response. This is especially true for visiting the pool, since the disinfectants that treat the water in the pool can cause an increase and redness of the papule. This can lead to misinterpretation of the result, unnecessary worries, long visits to doctors and exposure to excessive doses of radiation during research. Therefore, it is better to refuse to visit the pool in the first 3 days, until the reaction is checked.

An even stronger allergic reaction can be provoked by a combination of water and high temperature. That is, visiting a bath or sauna should be abandoned for the entire period of action of tuberculin. Sweat can get into the steamed skin, an infection from the water.

Swimming in open water is also better to postpone. In a lake, river or sea, an infection can get into the wound. Many children almost all the time in some kind of abrasions, but do not get sick, this is the immune system. However, if a Mantoux test is done, getting into this area of ​​​​infection can provoke an inadequate reaction and possible false conclusions.

The child can wash in the shower after the test, but you need to explain to him that you can not rub the injection site with a washcloth, especially with gel or shampoo. After water procedures, it is also necessary to wipe the area of ​​the test with caution, it is better to just get wet. With the right behavior, water will not disrupt the reaction. However, during the first day it is better not to wash the child so that the wound has time to heal properly. Also, do not expose the sample to water if an allergic reaction to the introduction of tuberculin has previously formed.

Komarovsky's opinion

Pediatrician Yevgeny Olegovich Komarovsky says that in fact, the tuberculin test, which is also called the Mantoux test, can be wetted. A common myth and the stories of doctors in the clinic are related to the fact that the Pirke test, which was done earlier to diagnose tuberculosis, could not be wetted (since in this case the skin was scratched, and the test was not injected intradermally).

Be sure to watch the video in which Dr. Komarovsky talks about the mantoux test, its advantages and reaction.

Important! Do not confuse the allergy test, which is carried out for diagnosis with a vaccination (it is called BCG). Be sure to read the article on our website to learn more about existing vaccinations and how the vaccine is administered.

How many days you can not wet manta

In a healthy child with normal blood clotting, the injection site is tightly clogged within an hour. Just in case, wait, and bathe the child on the second or third day, being careful not to affect the test area. If this is the first test of the year, and you do not know at all how your child's body will react to tuberculin, it is best not to allow water to enter during the entire time of the reaction. If a child is over a year old, and there were no previous allergic reactions to Mantoux, then you can bathe him within a few hours after the administration of the drug.

Tuberculosis is an extremely dangerous disease that is quite common throughout the world. It exhausts the body, and its treatment takes a long time.

Below we will talk about the Mantoux test, which determines the presence of a tubercle bacillus in the body. Since it is extremely important to make an accurate diagnosis, everyone should know how to behave after the Mantoux vaccination, in particular, is it possible to wet the injection site.

The Mantoux reaction belongs to the well-known methods for the initial diagnosis of tuberculosis. According to such an event, tuberculin is injected intradermally into the middle of the forearm from the inside. After the product enters the skin, a small seal resembling a button is formed at the injection site.

It is worth noting that the Mantoux reaction is carried out for children annually from 1 to 14 years.

The results are checked after 3 days with a ruler. The dimensions of the seal are recorded in the child's medical record. The normal button diameter is 4 mm or less. With a papule size of 5 to 16 mm, it is believed that the child was in contact with Mycobacterium Bovis, which provokes tuberculosis. In this case, children should visit a phthisiatrician for a more detailed diagnosis.

Mantoux vaccination for how many days you can not wet

Many may wonder if a mantle has been vaccinated, how many days you can not wet it in this case. Until the test results are taken, it is advisable not to even touch the Mantoux test for 3 days. The injection site should not be soaped, much less rubbed with a washcloth. In this regard, when asked whether it is possible to wet the Mantoux vaccine, it is safe to say that it is impossible.

At this time, it is forbidden to go to the bath or sauna, as high humidity and temperature can cause an unexpected reaction and adversely affect the test result.

What happens if you wet the sample

When it is possible to wet the mantle after vaccination, we have already figured it out. Unlike the Pirquet test, in which if water gets on the allergen, the results of the study will definitely be spoiled, with the Mantoux test, everything is not so simple. However, even in this case, after a mantoux test while in the pool, for example, if you wet the injection site, impurities in the water in some cases can also distort the result.

What absolutely cannot be done

Distortion of the results of the Mantoux test can occur due to such factors:

• Staying for a long time in a room with poor ventilation and high humidity.
• Damage to the skin at the injection site. It is forbidden to scratch, rub or squeeze the button.
• Applying a bandage or bandage to the injection site.
• Wearing woolen clothes, or anything else that irritates the skin.
• Any preventive vaccinations that affect the immune system. Mantoux vaccination should be carried out before vaccination or one month after it.
• Any antiseptics (alcohol, iodine, peroxide), soaps and creams can cause allergies.
• During the period of Mantoux vaccination, it is advisable not to use foods that often cause allergic reactions of the body: fish, fruits, chocolate and other sweets.
• Bathing in public places.

Is it worth sticking a mantle with a band-aid

Any patch clearly affects the Mantoux vaccination. The adhesive part of the patch is an excellent environment for the development of pathogenic bacteria. At the same time, the sealed place is deprived of oxygen access, as a result of which sweat and subcutaneous fat begin to be produced. As a result, the papule may become inflamed, and doctors will consider such a reaction as a positive result for tuberculin.

The injection site cannot be sealed even in such cases:

• the baby often scratches the injection site;
• visiting the pool or taking a shower - any place where you need to wet the Mantoux vaccination site;
• during sporting events or those that require active work.

How wrong actions can affect the sample

As mentioned above, in order for doctors to be able to correctly interpret the results of the Mantoux vaccination, the child must adhere to certain rules within 3 days after the test.

• delete from the diet any foods that provoke allergies, as well as contact with woolen things;
• try not to wet the injection site, do not rub it with a washcloth;
• do not scratch the injection site, so as not to infect;
• do not stick an adhesive plaster and do not bandage the vaccination site, so as not to block the supply of oxygen to the papule;
• it is advisable to refuse to visit any reservoirs, as well as saunas and baths.

Following such simple rules after Mantoux vaccination will minimize the chance of distorting the results of vaccination.

By the reaction to the Mantoux vaccination on the part of the child's immune system, one can judge the effectiveness of the BCG vaccination. The body usually tolerates the drug (Tuberculin) well, but cold symptoms can sometimes develop. In order to avoid complications, you need to understand in what situations they arise.

Mantoux vaccination does not apply to immunovaccination. The drug Tuberculin contains the remains of the vital activity of a weakened Koch bacterium. Why is Mantoux vaccinated? The body's response to the drug is checked in children annually starting from one year of age. The main purpose of the test is to determine the reaction of immunity to tuberculosis.

By the reaction of the body, one can determine how effectively the tuberculosis vaccine was introduced - BCG. It was invented by French scientists, in whose honor the vaccine received its title. The first time they are vaccinated in the maternity hospital. The drug is injected subcutaneously into the shoulder. Thanks to BCG, immunity to tuberculosis begins to develop from birth.

The results of measurements of the Mantoux reaction make it possible to determine the disease at the initial stage of development, when the cells of the respiratory organs are slightly affected. The drug is injected into the arm subcutaneously. A swelling (button) is formed at the injection site. After 74 hours, measurements of the button are carried out, and the characteristics of the body's response are determined.

Is it necessary to put Mantoux?

According to the Mantoux vaccination calendar for children, the first injection of the drug occurs even in the maternity hospital for 3-4 days. The next time a test for the Mantoux reaction is carried out at 1 year. And they continue to inject tuberculin annually in order to track the activity of Koch's bacillus.

If the reaction becomes stronger every year, and there are people with tuberculosis in the environment, the test is allowed to be carried out more often, up to three times a year. The issue of re-administration of the drug is decided by the phthisiatrician.

According to the current legislation of the Russian Federation, every adult has the right to independently decide on the Mantoux test. If you do not agree, you can fill out a waiver form.

But we must remember that recently the number of people infected with tuberculosis is growing every day. The category of patients in whom the disease proceeds in a latent form is especially dangerous. Failure to do so may lead to delayed diagnosis.

Thanks to the Mantoux reaction, it is possible to monitor the immune response to the Koch stick and, in case of illness, begin treatment at an early stage.

Indications and contraindications

The Mantoux test is carried out for early detection of the disease, selection of children for repeated revaccination, as well as to identify individuals at increased risk of infection. For this purpose, 0.1 ml of the drug is injected under the skin, which contains 2 tuberculosis units.

Medical withdrawal from the Mantoux test can be temporary and permanent. Contraindications to Mantoux vaccination in children are:

• skin rashes of various origins;
• viral and bacterial diseases;
• acute course of any disease;
• various forms of epilepsy;
• intestinal disorders;
• immunodeficiency;
• oncological diseases.

If the child has recently had any infection, this should be reported to the doctor. At least three weeks must pass from the moment of illness.

Mantoux reaction mechanism

Many parents are concerned about the question, why is immunization against tuberculosis necessary? The first vaccination against tuberculosis is done in the first days of life, revaccination is continued at 6 years of age. The composition of the tuberculosis vaccine includes weakened tuberculosis bacilli of cows. The reaction from the body to them is unpredictable, therefore Mantoux is vaccinated annually. If the results of the reaction are negative, then revaccination is allowed.

After the vaccine is injected with a special syringe under the skin of the forearm, protective cells of the body (T-lymphocytes) begin to rush to the place. But not all protective cells tend to the bacteria that have entered, but only those that are familiar with the tuberculosis bacillus.

This process is called the reaction to the sample. As a result of the accumulation of T-lymphocytes under the skin, where the injection was given, a seal is formed, called a papule. The procedure allows to detect the early development of the disease.

Button size

In the field of vaccine administration, a response appears, by which it is judged whether the tuberculosis microbacterium entered the body. If a papule has formed, this means that the body has already met with Koch's stick. In the case when there is nothing left at the injection site, they talk about a negative reaction and put BCG re-vaccination by age.

Tuberculin does not contain live Koch bacteria, so it is impossible to get tuberculosis from the sample. Only a local response develops, the drug does not affect the work of the whole organism.

The reaction determines the presence of tuberculosis microbacteria in the body. They, under the development of certain conditions, are capable of provoking a disease. The reaction to tuberculin is checked after the third day after the procedure. The size of the papule in the baby on the arm after Mantoux vaccination is measured with a ruler. In accordance with accepted standards, the reaction after the introduction of the vaccine can be:

• negative, when a button does not appear at the injection site or its size does not exceed 1 mm;
• doubtful, in this case the size of the papule is not more than 4 mm;
• a positive Mantoux reaction is considered a papule size greater than 5 mm;
• hyperergic, when the size of the seal is greater than 16 mm.

Do not panic ahead of time if the reaction was positive. The skin of children is very sensitive and reacts to any irritants, so there may be an unreliable result.

Complications after the Mantoux test

Sometimes after having been vaccinated with Mantoux, undesirable consequences appear. Usually they develop against the background of reduced immunity and the latent course of a viral or bacterial process. Complications:

• From vaccination, body temperature may rise, but the indicators do not exceed 38 degrees. The reaction may be aggravated by the evening of the first two days.
• The child may appear lethargic, drowsy, moody.
• Appetite decreases.
• An allergic reaction manifests itself in the form of hives, swelling, itching and redness of the skin.

Tuberculin contains a phenol component, which is toxic. In an acceptable dosage, it does not cause harm to health. With a high sensitivity of the body to this substance, an allergic response develops.

In order to prevent a strong allergic reaction, it is recommended to start giving the child antihistamines (Suprastin, Cetrin, Zirtek) 3-4 days before the test. They continue to drink for another 2 days after the test. With a strong allergic reaction, it is difficult to determine the degree of immunity to tuberculosis, therefore, a diaskintest is performed.

Button care

Parents are concerned about the question, can there be a temperature after Mantoux vaccination? The body rarely reacts to Mantoux with hyperthermia. But some children may experience a rise in body temperature. However, the mark on the thermometer is insignificant (not higher than 38 degrees). At the same time, the behavior and condition of the baby does not change.

In the case when the body temperature has exceeded 38 degrees, the child looks lethargic, eats poorly and sleeps restlessly, you need to contact a pediatrician. There is a high probability that an infection has joined.

In order for the test results to be accurate, you need to properly care for the injection site. Parents should ensure that the child does not scratch or wet the injection site. You can not treat the wound with solutions and ointments, as well as cover it with a plaster or bandage.

What happens if you get wet?

After the procedure, the nurse forbids to wet the injection site. Why can't Mantou get wet? This ban is due to the fact that the risk of introducing an infection into the wound increases. In addition, contact with water can cause reddening of the skin, and the reaction will become even stronger.

If the child wets the wound, you need to gently dry it with a towel, but do not rub it. You need to tell the nurse about the current situation on the day of the measurement.

Food and lifestyle restrictions

To reduce the development of an allergic reaction, you need to make adjustments to the diet a week before the procedure:

• Products should be high in vitamins and minerals to support immunity.
• Young children are not recommended to introduce new foods at this time.
• Be sure to know what you can not eat after Mantoux. Fatty, spicy, fried foods are removed from the diet. It is not recommended to eat foods that most often provoke allergies (citrus fruits, eggs, nuts, berries, chocolate).

In addition to changing the diet, it is necessary to exclude provoking factors for changes in indicators in everyday life. Contacts with animals, synthetic clothing, household chemicals are limited.

Should we be afraid of the positive reaction of Mantoux?

If a Mantoux test is done, what reaction is considered normal? A papule forms at the injection site, and redness around it. Only the tight button is measured, redness around it is not taken into account.

If a positive result is obtained, parents should not be afraid and panic, this most often does not indicate the presence of a disease in the child. There can be several reasons for too high reaction results:

• non-compliance with the rules during the setting of the sample;
• the introduction of a drug of low, dubious quality;
• wrong measurement;
• hereditary factor;
• recent BCG vaccination.

If all these factors are excluded, the phthisiatrician conducts an additional examination. This may be the effect of a recent illness, an allergy to the components of the drug, or the effect of a recent scheduled vaccination. Sometimes an x-ray is required. All family members must be tested.

Vaccinations before and after Mantoux

So that the results of the Mantoux test are not distorted by the influence of other vaccinations, it is necessary to observe the time interval between their administration:

• In the case when another vaccination is planned before the test, it is carried out 4–6 weeks in advance.
• After measurements, you can put any planned vaccinations. On the same days after Mantoux, it is also allowed to inoculate DTP.

It is impossible to carry out vaccination on the day of the test for the Mantoux reaction.

Mantoux test: Dr. Komarovsky's school

The famous doctor Komarovsky recalls that the Mantoux test is not considered a vaccination. It does not protect the body from infection with tuberculosis. It is carried out in order to find out if the tuberculin bacillus has entered the body and how high the risk of developing this disease is.

The doctor injects the drug under the skin of the inner side of the forearm, where a tubercle forms at the same time. Within three days, the child's immune system reacts to the administered drug. And on the third day, the doctor evaluates the results by feeling and measuring with a ruler.

Sample measurements can be regarded as false positives when, for example, tips for caring for a button have been violated. The final decision on the reliability of the result should be made only by a competent specialist.

Mantu was made to every child at least once in a lifetime. The Mantoux test has been used in medicine for a long time. It was made for us when we were children and is still being made for our children. As strange as it sounds, Mantoux is not a vaccination at all, but just a specific diagnostic method. It is done in order to determine the presence of tuberculosis bacteria in the human body. Unfortunately, tuberculosis is rampant today. They are equally often sick and children and their parents. Therefore, parents should not refuse to conduct Mantoux to their child if they want to be sure that they are healthy.

District pediatrician

After the Mantoux is done, parents are advised not to wet the injection site until the result is checked. However, this does not always work out. Without exception, all children love to mess with water, but if Mantou was made in the summer, then it is almost impossible not to manage to wet it. I think that every mother was faced with the fact that her child wet Mantoux, and was worried about how this would affect the results. Is it possible or not to wet Mantoux - a question that many parents would like to know the answer to. In order to get the right answer, you need to know what Mantou is and how it is made.

What is Mantoux and why is it made?

To date, the Mantoux test is considered the standard method for detecting people infected with tuberculosis bacteria, which is used throughout the world.

This is a tuberculin test, named after the French doctor Charles Mantoux, who proposed using it to detect tuberculosis back in 1909. Despite modern technologies and diagnostic methods, this test is still the standard of medicine for identifying carriers of tuberculosis.

Many mothers refuse to carry out Mantoux, considering it a vaccination and fearing that it will affect the immune system or infect the child with tuberculosis. This is just a myth. Mantoux is not a vaccine. This is a test for tuberculosis, which allows you to understand whether a person is infected or not. Tuberculin, which is administered during the Mantoux test, is an extract from tuberculosis bacteria. There are no living microorganisms in it, so it is impossible to get infected. However, tuberculin is an allergen that can provoke an allergic reaction.

Why is Mantou made every year? To find out if the child has been in contact with someone who has TB. And if there was contact, take measures in time so that the baby does not get sick.

In addition to Mantoux, Diaskintest has been used in Russia since 2008. It is used only in combination with the Mantoux test to determine if the child is really infected or if it is a reaction after being vaccinated against tuberculosis.

How and when is the Mantoux test performed?

For a collective examination of healthy children and adolescents attending educational institutions, an intradermal Mantoux test is used, as well as diaskintest.

The purpose of mass screening for tuberculosis is:

• early (before the appearance of signs of the disease) identification of children and adolescents with tuberculosis;
• timely identification of those who are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis (who had contact with sick people) from among the examined children and adolescents;
• selection for re-vaccination against tuberculosis.

Before performing a Mantoux test, each child must be examined by a pediatrician in order to obtain permission to perform.

Mantu is not made:

• children under one year old if they are already vaccinated against tuberculosis;
• if the child is sick;
• if the child has an exacerbation of allergic diseases.

Children who test negative for seven years are revaccinated against TB at age seven, then another seven years later if they test negative when the child is 14.

To make a Mantoux test, a disposable tuberculin syringe and 0.1 ml of tuberculin are used, which is injected intradermally on the dorsum of the forearm, previously treated with a cotton swab dipped in an alcohol solution. In the place where tuberculin was injected, a papule is formed - a whitish tubercle protruding above the surface of the skin, similar to a button, inside of which tuberculin is located. That is why Mantoux is often called a button.

The Mantoux test is carried out for all children and adolescents, without exception, who are vaccinated against tuberculosis every year after the baby turns one year old, regardless of the result of previous tests. For children who do not have a tuberculosis (BCG) vaccination, it is carried out from six months twice a year until they are vaccinated. Mantu is made by a nurse who has undergone special training. The result of each test is recorded in the child's medical record.

If you do Mantoux systematically, every year the doctor can analyze the dynamics of the results and detect in time, not miss the moment the child's body meets bacteria, and also prevent the development of the disease.

It turns out that you can wet Mantoux. Despite the prohibitions of doctors, getting water at the injection site will not affect the result at all. Tuberculin is inside the skin, and water can only get there in the way that Mantoux is made, that is, it must be injected with a syringe. And no normal person would do that.

A child who has been made Mantoux can wash their hands, and even take a shower and bath. But only under certain conditions.

1. It is forbidden to rub the injection site with a washcloth and comb it with your hands. It is important to constantly monitor the child, because the temptation to scratch or rub the injection site is so great.
2. Do not seal the injection site with a plaster or wrap it with a bag, plastic wrap. By covering the Manta with material that does not breathe, you create the effect of a compress, and it dries and gets wet. This can cause irritation and the reaction will intensify. As a result, you will get a positive result.
3. After the Mantoux test, it is better to refrain from swimming in lakes, pools, visiting baths and saunas. Why is it impossible to wet Mantoux in the pool, bath and sauna? Just because under the action of bleach, which treats the water in the pool, and steaming, irritation may occur at the site of the test, and the result will be incorrect. It only takes three days. After checking the result, bathe in health.
4. You can not smear the injection site with cream, iodine and other antiseptics.
5. You can't heat Manta.

Why do doctors and nurses, and everyone around them say that Mantoux cannot be wet? It's all about the story, when our grandmothers were children, instead of the Mantoux test, a Pirquet test was performed: tuberculin was dripped onto the child's hand and notches were made (they scratched the hand in the place where they dripped). This sample really could not be wetted in any case. So it was possible to wash off the tuberculin, and the result would be unreliable. Doctors follow an old habit, because even today they write in the instructions for tuberculin that it is impossible to wet, adhering to established stereotypes.

How is the Mantoux test evaluated?

The results of the Mantoux test in a child are checked 72 hours after it is carried out. To do this, measure the transverse size of the papule with a transparent ruler and record the result in the child's card.

4 Mantoux test results.

1. Negative. Such a result is considered if there is only a trace of an injection on the skin, and nothing else.
2. Doubtful. This is a result in which the skin has a seal of 2-4 mm or redness of absolutely any size.
3. Positive. In this case, the size of the seal is 5 mm or more.
4. Hyperergic. This is such a result that the size of the seal reaches 17 mm or more.

What will be the result of infection?

1. The conversion of previously negative results to positive in the event that a positive result is not associated with vaccination against tuberculosis. This is the so-called tuberculin test bend.
2. Increasing tuberculin sensitivity. This is manifested by an annual increase in the size of the papule (compaction, protrusion above the surface of the skin).
3. The development of a hyperergic (very strong) reaction in response to the introduction of tuberculin.

Such children and adolescents are under the supervision of a phthisiatrician (a specialist in the treatment of tuberculosis) for 1-2 years. They are being tested. They take blood and urine tests, if necessary, take x-rays of the respiratory system. In addition, the entire environment of the child is examined to find the source of infection. For prevention, they are prescribed and carried out special treatment.

If the child has been in contact with tuberculosis bacteria or is already sick, the test result will be positive. Causes that can distort the results can occur with increased immunity, this happens during illness, as well as during allergies.

What to do if, after the Mantoux test, you are referred to a phthisiatrician?

In this situation, you should listen to the doctor and go to the reception. Believe that no one will “drive” you to the doctors if there is no reason for it. If after Mantoux your child is referred to a phthisiatrician, it means that the doctor has suspicions that tuberculosis may have recently been infected, and the risk of getting sick is quite high.

The child is at high risk for two years from the time of infection. For these two years, he must be under the supervision of a phthisiatrician and examined, if the doctor prescribes, and sometimes treated.

Tactics for negative reactions

Children at the age of 7 and 14 years old with negative results of previous tests annually (if there are no contraindications) are vaccinated against tuberculosis with the BCG vaccine to create immunity (a protective reaction of the body) against tuberculosis bacteria.

Vaccination against tuberculosis is a means of mass prevention (protection) against tuberculosis. Thanks to the vaccination, most children and adolescents are immune from this infection.

Children vaccinated against tuberculosis respond positively to tuberculin for some time, which is manifested by the appearance of redness and swelling at the Mantoux site. This reaction is called post-vaccination allergy. It is characterized by a gradual decrease in the size of redness and swelling after Mantoux, every year it decreases and after 2-4 years the Mantoux result becomes doubtful or negative. In this case, the child is healthy.

Tuberculosis is a common and dangerous infection that requires long-term drug therapy. The Mantoux reaction is a diagnostic test, the purpose of which is to determine whether there is a tubercle bacillus in the child's body. It is very important to get reliable test results, so you need to know whether it is possible to wet Mantoux and how to exclude all points that can distort the test results.

Tuberculin is used to carry out the reaction. This is the name of the extract from the destroyed and therefore safe Mycobacterium tuberculosis. They are no longer able to harm a person, but retain their antigenic identity to the causative agent of a dangerous infection. Therefore, the immune system reacts to this sample as if active tubercle bacilli had entered the body.

With the help of a special syringe, tuberculin is injected intradermally into the region of the inner surface of the forearm. This provokes a local allergic reaction, which develops within three days. After this time, the doctor should evaluate the size of the seal and the severity of hyperemia (redness) at the injection site.

What should alert when evaluating the results for the injected antigen? If there is no redness and swelling at the injection site or their diameter is less than 0.5 cm, this indicates a lack of immune protection against tubercle bacillus. Most often, such a reaction is observed in children who were not made in the hospital.

The size of the papule is more than 5 mm and the formation of an abscess at the injection site is alarming. It is important to understand that even with a positive result of the tuberculin test, it is impossible to conclude that the child has tuberculosis. It is necessary to consult a pediatric phthisiatrician, undergo all additional examinations.

Advantages of the tuberculin intradermal test:

• ease of implementation;
• speed of obtaining results;
• the informativeness of the test if it is carried out correctly and the parents follow the medical recommendations.

The disadvantage of the test is its sensitivity to external and internal factors (water exposure, health status, etc.) that can distort the results. Therefore, often parents are interested in whether it is possible to wet the injection site.

The effect of water on Mantoux

Tuberculin is injected into the skin, water is in contact with the surface of the skin. Therefore, their interaction is unlikely, but possible under the influence of a number of factors. It is necessary to exclude overheating of the baby, a long stay in a stuffy, damp room. You can not visit the sauna, bath and swimming pool, because under the influence of heat and moisture, the skin pores expand and moisture enters the skin.

It is important to constantly monitor the child in order to prevent scratching the injection site or trying to squeeze out the resulting “button”. All these circumstances can contribute to the penetration of moisture into the skin layer through enlarged pores or damaged skin epithelium. In this case, a false positive reaction is possible.

Other factors affecting the test result

External factors can cause irritation, damage and secondary infection of the skin. These include:

1. Mechanical causes (combing, rubbing the injection site). It is unacceptable to apply a bandage, sticking with a plaster, as this leads to exposure to the tuberculin injection site of accumulated sweat and sebum. It is better not to dress your child in long-sleeved woolen clothes and clothes made of coarse fibers that irritate the skin.
2. chemical agents. Lubrication with iodine and other antiseptic solutions, cream, soap, shower gel can cause an allergic skin reaction.

There are a number of intrinsic factors that can skew Mantoux's results. They affect the immunological status: prophylactic (a test is done before any vaccination or a month after it), exacerbation of chronic skin and infectious-allergic diseases.

Foods that are allergens (fish, chocolate, citrus fruits, spices) may be affected. Fever and a violation of general well-being against the background of any acute conditions are also a contraindication to the test.

Why can't you wet Manta?

Distortion of the results due to wetting of the injection site is typical for the Pirquet test. In this case, tuberculin is applied to the skin, then a scratch is made. The water that gets in will dilute the allergen and the results will be unreliable.

With subcutaneous administration of Mantoux, this does not happen, but it is still desirable to avoid getting moisture at the injection site. Water contains various chemical impurities, including chlorine, and the presence of pathogens of various diseases in it cannot be excluded. These components can enhance the local allergic reaction, distorting the results of the test.

How many days can not wet Mantoux?

The results of the immunological test are recorded after three days. Before the control medical examination, it is better not to touch the Mantoux test at all, soaping the injection site, using a washcloth is categorically excluded.

Also during this period you can not visit the bath and sauna. Humidity and high temperatures can cause unexpected reactions and affect the result.

What should I do if water gets into the tuberculin injection site?

It is advisable to beware of wetting the injection site, but if it does happen, do not panic. Mantu can be gently blotted with a clean towel, no additional measures are required.

In most cases, accidental contact with water at the tuberculin injection site does not have any effect. But if the test is positive, be sure to inform the doctor about the fact that water has entered the injection site.

What to do in order not to wet Manta?

Careful parental control of the child's behavior is necessary from the moment the test is taken to checking its results, and help the baby during hygiene procedures (bathing, washing hands). For older children, the doctor and parents should explain the meaning of the procedure and the danger of moisture getting into the injection site.