If you have been around someone who has TB disease, you should go to your doctor for tests. There are two tests that can be used to help detect TB infection: a TB skin test or TB blood test. The skin test is used most often. A small needle is used to put some testing material, called tuberculin, under the skin. In two to three days, you return to the healthcare provider who will check to see if there is a reaction to the test. In some cases, a TB blood test is used to test for TB infection. This blood test measures how a person’s immune system reacts to the germs that cause TB.
To tell if someone has TB disease, other tests, such as chest x-ray and a sample of sputum (phlegm that is coughed up from deep in the lungs), may be needed.
