I-693 PPD Positive; X-Ray Negative. What do u suggest?

[cartman1417 0]

Hi,

I am currently on H-1B visa seeking Green Card through marriage to US Citizen.

I am residing in PA. I had a shot of BCG in UK when I was 12. So my PPD (TB skin test) came out positive. Chest X-ray was negative. Which of the following options would you suggest I go for:

1) Call up Dr. Arnold L. in Texas and get another I-693 from him.

2) Send the current I-693 which states PPD positive along with the prescription for 9-month treatment for TB. And not take the medicines because I do not want to damage or risk damaging my liver. Let fate decide wht happens in the interview. Whether they bring up the question about 9-month treatment or not.

3) Get the QuantiFeron TB blood test done. This would prove that I dont have latent TB if the BCG is excluded. Send the test results with the current PPD positive I-693.

any other suggestions are also welcome...does anyone know some doctor similar to Dr. Arnold in NJ, PA or NY???

Thanks in advance.

[웃 910]

3) Get the QuantiFeron TB blood test.

[rrobin 2]

Hi,

I am currently on H-1B visa seeking Green Card through marriage to US Citizen.

I am residing in PA. I had a shot of BCG in UK when I was 12. So my PPD (TB skin test) came out positive. Chest X-ray was negative. Which of the following options would you suggest I go for:

1) Call up Dr. Arnold L. in Texas and get another I-693 from him.

2) Send the current I-693 which states PPD positive along with the prescription for 9-month treatment for TB. And not take the medicines because I do not want to damage or risk damaging my liver. Let fate decide wht happens in the interview. Whether they bring up the question about 9-month treatment or not.

3) Get the QuantiFeron TB blood test done. This would prove that I dont have latent TB if the BCG is excluded. Send the test results with the current PPD positive I-693.

any other suggestions are also welcome...does anyone know some doctor similar to Dr. Arnold in NJ, PA or NY???

Thanks in advance.

I don't understand. Did the civil surgeon recommend the treatment???? The treatment is only recommended if X-ray is positive or if he (civil surgeon) saw some other signs of active TB infection. Latent TB (+ PPD, -Xray) does not mean you need to go through a treatment.

[ikarus 1]

I used to work as a nurse long time ago, and yea, when foreign patients tested positive for their PPD, but they had taken the BCG vaccine in their childhood, a couple of the doctors would tell the patients, 'if your xray comes clear, I'll still give you the drug treatment for TB, but you have a greater risk of liver damage taking the pills, than of TB.' The doctors would tell me that if it was them, they wouldn't take the treatment, but if they had to say they took the treatment they would....

But as they would say, do what you think is best..knowing what those doctors told me back then, I would choose 2 and if they ask about the treatment, yep, youre taking it.

Edited March 12, 2009 by ikarus

[cartman1417 0]

Hi,

I am currently on H-1B visa seeking Green Card through marriage to US Citizen.

I am residing in PA. I had a shot of BCG in UK when I was 12. So my PPD (TB skin test) came out positive. Chest X-ray was negative. Which of the following options would you suggest I go for:

1) Call up Dr. Arnold L. in Texas and get another I-693 from him.

2) Send the current I-693 which states PPD positive along with the prescription for 9-month treatment for TB. And not take the medicines because I do not want to damage or risk damaging my liver. Let fate decide wht happens in the interview. Whether they bring up the question about 9-month treatment or not.

3) Get the QuantiFeron TB blood test done. This would prove that I dont have latent TB if the BCG is excluded. Send the test results with the current PPD positive I-693.

any other suggestions are also welcome...does anyone know some doctor similar to Dr. Arnold in NJ, PA or NY???

Thanks in advance.

I don't understand. Did the civil surgeon recommend the treatment???? The treatment is only recommended if X-ray is positive or if he (civil surgeon) saw some other signs of active TB infection. Latent TB (+ PPD, -Xray) does not mean you need to go through a treatment.

I believe the rules have changed since may/june 2008. now if the PPD is positive, regardless of x-ray results, it is mandatory that u have to take the 9-month treatment...

[cartman1417 0]

I used to work as a nurse long time ago, and yea, when foreign patients tested positive for their PPD, but they had taken the BCG vaccine in their childhood, a couple of the doctors would tell the patients, 'if your xray comes clear, I'll still give you the drug treatment for TB, but you have a greater risk of liver damage taking the pills, than of TB.' The doctors would tell me that if it was them, they wouldn't take the treatment, but if they had to say they took the treatment they would....

But as they would say, do what you think is best..knowing what those doctors told me back then, I would choose 2 and if they ask about the treatment, yep, youre taking it.

the problem with option 2 if they bring it up in interview is that, once i start the treatment, i have to go regularly to the health department for liver tests...they will test whether my liver is still capable to fight the strong antibiotics...if they ask for proof of treatment, i wont have anything coz i havent taken any meds...i am just saying i did!!!

[Nelly228 0]

Hi,

I am currently on H-1B visa seeking Green Card through marriage to US Citizen.

I am residing in PA. I had a shot of BCG in UK when I was 12. So my PPD (TB skin test) came out positive. Chest X-ray was negative. Which of the following options would you suggest I go for:

1) Call up Dr. Arnold L. in Texas and get another I-693 from him.

2) Send the current I-693 which states PPD positive along with the prescription for 9-month treatment for TB. And not take the medicines because I do not want to damage or risk damaging my liver. Let fate decide wht happens in the interview. Whether they bring up the question about 9-month treatment or not.

3) Get the QuantiFeron TB blood test done. This would prove that I dont have latent TB if the BCG is excluded. Send the test results with the current PPD positive I-693.

any other suggestions are also welcome...does anyone know some doctor similar to Dr. Arnold in NJ, PA or NY???

Thanks in advance.

I don't understand. Did the civil surgeon recommend the treatment???? The treatment is only recommended if X-ray is positive or if he (civil surgeon) saw some other signs of active TB infection. Latent TB (+ PPD, -Xray) does not mean you need to go through a treatment.

I believe the rules have changed since may/june 2008. now if the PPD is positive, regardless of x-ray results, it is mandatory that u have to take the 9-month treatment...

I am PPD positive too and done on my treatment for 6 mos. and the public health department gave me clearance card for future use (jobs, AOS etc..) I am tired of taking it and monitoring just to make sure not to miss a day for my medication. But i am still ok...no liver problem yet...lol..

[ikarus 1]

I used to work as a nurse long time ago, and yea, when foreign patients tested positive for their PPD, but they had taken the BCG vaccine in their childhood, a couple of the doctors would tell the patients, 'if your xray comes clear, I'll still give you the drug treatment for TB, but you have a greater risk of liver damage taking the pills, than of TB.' The doctors would tell me that if it was them, they wouldn't take the treatment, but if they had to say they took the treatment they would....

But as they would say, do what you think is best..knowing what those doctors told me back then, I would choose 2 and if they ask about the treatment, yep, youre taking it.

the problem with option 2 if they bring it up in interview is that, once i start the treatment, i have to go regularly to the health department for liver tests...they will test whether my liver is still capable to fight the strong antibiotics...if they ask for proof of treatment, i wont have anything coz i havent taken any meds...i am just saying i did!!!

Then do 3. Back in the days, don't remember the patients being monitored; they were asked if they were taken the treatment and to watch for such and such symptoms; then again, treatment must have changed in the last 12 years...

[cartman1417 0]

so far no one seems to approve option 1...so i think i'll eliminate that...

does anyone know if the USCIS would consider results from QuantiFeron test? has anyone actually done it and has worked??? please share the experience...

and thanks everyone who replied and will reply ...ur inputs are highly appreciated...

[웃 910]

so far no one seems to approve option 1...so i think i'll eliminate that...

does anyone know if the USCIS would consider results from QuantiFeron test? has anyone actually done it and has worked??? please share the experience...

and thanks everyone who replied and will reply ...ur inputs are highly appreciated...

My wife had active TB and after I found out I got tested. My skin test was 5 or 7 mm so I was considered positive. So I got a chest x-ray and it was negative. Then the Radiologist recommended to take pills for 9 months just to be sure. I told him that I knew I did not have TB. Reason is because a 5 mm or 7 mm skin test result is nothing. Where I was injected was flat, the skin was not "raised" like a bump. As a matter of fact, a 5 mm or 7 mm result is negative but the rules change to anything over 5 mm is positive if you tell the nurse you were around someone with active TB.

To make a long story short, the QuantiFeron blood test was the final verdict. If it came back positive I would for sure have the inactive TB (positive skin test/negative chest x-ray/positive QuantiFeron). If it came back negative then I would have nothing (negative QuantiFeron/Negative chest x-ray/positive skin test). It was negative.

So what I would do if I were you is take the QF blood test, which cost me approximately $40 or $50 and the results were ready in 1 week.

[cartman1417 0]

i found this article at www.cdc.gov .....where on the first page under when you should use the test, it says ".........evaluation of recent immigrants who have had BCG vaccination....."

i just call the doctor asking him to write me a prescription for getting it done...lets see wht happens next...

http://www.cdc.gov/TB/pubs/tbfactsheets/QFT.pdf

[ojetbone 0]

Hi,

I am currently on H-1B visa seeking Green Card through marriage to US Citizen.

I am residing in PA. I had a shot of BCG in UK when I was 12. So my PPD (TB skin test) came out positive. Chest X-ray was negative. Which of the following options would you suggest I go for:

1) Call up Dr. Arnold L. in Texas and get another I-693 from him.

2) Send the current I-693 which states PPD positive along with the prescription for 9-month treatment for TB. And not take the medicines because I do not want to damage or risk damaging my liver. Let fate decide wht happens in the interview. Whether they bring up the question about 9-month treatment or not.

3) Get the QuantiFeron TB blood test done. This would prove that I dont have latent TB if the BCG is excluded. Send the test results with the current PPD positive I-693.

any other suggestions are also welcome...does anyone know some doctor similar to Dr. Arnold in NJ, PA or NY???

Thanks in advance.

The first thing I will suggest to you my friend is to read the following documents

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/pdf/civil_surgeons_ti.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/pdf/civil_surgeon_ltr.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/pdf/civil_surgeons_faq.pdf

I,too am from the Uk with a positive pdd test and negative Chest X-ray and have been recommended for further

evaluation. You will find in these documents that, the civil surgeons are instructed that, a person from a low risk country of TB like the U.K.( I checked the the World Health Organisation web site), should not be sent for further evaluation if the retults are greater than 10mm.

Here is another interesting article from the UK which I found in regard to US immigration of PDD.

http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk/Vaccines/BC...used_in_the_USA

have a positive more than 10mm.

However, I am not in the UK, I am in the US and it is all different here.

Good Luck