St. Lukes Chest X-Ray

[RyaNRiza 1]

Just want to share my opinion regarding the chest X-ray and TB skin test.

I think the chest X-ray that every applicant should undergo in St. Lukes is useless and hazardous after the USCIS change policies on medical issues, specifically the TST (TB skin test).

A friend of mine who is in the US now just had her chest X-ray 3 months ago back in the Philippines. They just filed her AOS where one of the requirements is the TST. As expected, she was positive (most Filipinas get a positive TST). The bad news is, she had to undergo another chest X-ray to make sure she is not a TB carrier (doctors here don't honor the X-ray result from the Philippines). She's worried because of the radiation exposure since she just had X-ray a few months ago.

I hope that the USCIS will be able to look into this matter. It would have been better if TST be conducted in the Philippines before X-ray. That way, the expenses are lesser and most importantly, the applicant's health is safely guarded from radiation exposure.

What's your opinion about this?

[Gumbolette 58]

I strongly agree on you Ate Riza.

Irresponsible protocols like this leads those concern individuals, Us to waste more precious time, money and effort to complete whatever USCIS is requiring which is completely irrelevant by the time we step down the US. The major problem with the TST in the diagnosis of active disease is that substantial numbers of patients with active TB do not have significant reactions to the test. It is reasonable to presume that some portion of individuals harboring latent tuberculosis do not react to the TST. This situation somehow takes place when the person being tested is still here in the Philippines and react on the test when get to the US.

It would be more efficient if the TST be removed as a part of the medical procedure with the immigration process here in Philippines and just immediately take the test when you reach the US.

False positive reactions to the TST have been clearly identified in relationship to prior infections with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) or to vaccination with bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) a vaccine prepared from an attenuated but living strain of M. bovis—an organism closely related to the tubercle bacillus. NTM infections are widely distributed across the United States, but are most common in the warm, moist environment of the Southeast. Hence, for individuals who have resided in this region, particular caution should be exercised in interpreting TST results. Also, TST results in persons who have received BCG vaccination are problematic. Most individuals who receive a BCG vaccination become only transiently (6 months to 5 years) reactive to tuberculin. If no other BCG vaccinations are given and if infection with TB or NTM does not occur, after ten to twenty years, the great majority of these persons will not react to TST. Thus, authorities have indicated that most individuals from parts of the world that are endemic for tuberculosis who have positive TSTs, should be presumed to be infected with TB. Although there will be some false positive reactions when using this model, the implications of missing latent tuberculosis infection—and the opportunity to administer preventive chemotherapy—among this high risk group are regarded as unacceptable.

Source NLHEP

[RyaNRiza 1]

I strongly agree on you Ate Riza.

Irresponsible protocols like this leads those concern individuals, Us to waste more precious time, money and effort to complete whatever USCIS is requiring which is completely irrelevant by the time we step down the US. The major problem with the TST in the diagnosis of active disease is that substantial numbers of patients with active TB do not have significant reactions to the test. It is reasonable to presume that some portion of individuals harboring latent tuberculosis do not react to the TST. This situation somehow takes place when the person being tested is still here in the Philippines and react on the test when get to the US.

It would be more efficient if the TST be removed as a part of the medical procedure with the immigration process here in Philippines and just immediately take the test when you reach the US.

Is TST already required in the St. Lukes medical exam? I didn't know about that. If then, tagal ko na alang update sa VJ and other related issues

The friend I was talking about just had her St. Luke's exam 3 months ago and no TST was administered. Is TST a new requirement there?

[Mike's Lucy 14]

As far as i know you will only undergo TST if they found something in your xray.

Is TST already required in the St. Lukes medical exam? I didn't know about that. If then, tagal ko na alang update sa VJ and other related issues

The friend I was talking about just had her St. Luke's exam 3 months ago and no TST was administered. Is TST a new requirement there?

[rheanick 42]

Just want to share my opinion regarding the chest X-ray and TB skin test.

I think the chest X-ray that every applicant should undergo in St. Lukes is useless and hazardous after the USCIS change policies on medical issues, specifically the TST (TB skin test).

A friend of mine who is in the US now just had her chest X-ray 3 months ago back in the Philippines. They just filed her AOS where one of the requirements is the TST. As expected, she was positive (most Filipinas get a positive TST). The bad news is, she had to undergo another chest X-ray to make sure she is not a TB carrier (doctors here don't honor the X-ray result from the Philippines). She's worried because of the radiation exposure since she just had X-ray a few months ago.

I hope that the USCIS will be able to look into this matter. It would have been better if TST be conducted in the Philippines before X-ray. That way, the expenses are lesser and most importantly, the applicant's health is safely guarded from radiation exposure.

What's your opinion about this?

Why does she has to undergo another TB test for AOS? All she need to do is to complete her vaccination and have her medical transcribed by a civil surgeon.

[David-and-Mae 15]

Fortunately, the civil surgeon honored the Chest Xray from St. Lukes when my TST turned out positive. Instead of asking me to have another Xray, he just noted that I had it less than 4 mos ago. My AOS was a successful and quick one.

[chinese_mutt 11]

It might be a case to case basis depending on the civil surgeon. Maybe your civil surgeon saw that she's from the Philippines and just decided to take the safe route (safe for him, not for you).

I hope everything works out though.

[griffin 7]

Greetings!

Majority of us filipinos have BCG vaccines that would normally reacts when given a TB Skin test.

griffin

[sjr09 155]

It might be a case to case basis depending on the civil surgeon. Maybe your civil surgeon saw that she's from the Philippines and just decided to take the safe route (safe for him, not for you).

I hope everything works out though.

Your right, most Filipina's dont get the same kind of vaccines as US children do, or really any at all. My wife had none! So i'm sure they know this and decided to take the safe route.

[Brian&Naty 0]

Just want to share my opinion regarding the chest X-ray and TB skin test.

I think the chest X-ray that every applicant should undergo in St. Lukes is useless and hazardous after the USCIS change policies on medical issues, specifically the TST (TB skin test).

A friend of mine who is in the US now just had her chest X-ray 3 months ago back in the Philippines. They just filed her AOS where one of the requirements is the TST. As expected, she was positive (most Filipinas get a positive TST). The bad news is, she had to undergo another chest X-ray to make sure she is not a TB carrier (doctors here don't honor the X-ray result from the Philippines). She's worried because of the radiation exposure since she just had X-ray a few months ago.

I hope that the USCIS will be able to look into this matter. It would have been better if TST be conducted in the Philippines before X-ray. That way, the expenses are lesser and most importantly, the applicant's health is safely guarded from radiation exposure.

What's your opinion about this?

As a government employee myself. I will say that the TB BS test is nothing more then RED TAPE that is outdated, inaccurate at best, and serves only to create busy work for some government employees who are ensconced into nice comfy positions. Naty's chest X Ray "revealed" a small white spot on her left lung. This was enough to trigger the Sputum test and put us into a holding pattern for 2 months and add stress to an already stressful process ( Can I have an AMEN?) Of course it came back "negative" but others have been put into the 6 month treatment program. I am willing to bet that there is a quota that has to be filled with X number of "positive" applicants each cycle to keep the program full.

[chinese_mutt 11]

Just want to share my opinion regarding the chest X-ray and TB skin test.

I think the chest X-ray that every applicant should undergo in St. Lukes is useless and hazardous after the USCIS change policies on medical issues, specifically the TST (TB skin test).

A friend of mine who is in the US now just had her chest X-ray 3 months ago back in the Philippines. They just filed her AOS where one of the requirements is the TST. As expected, she was positive (most Filipinas get a positive TST). The bad news is, she had to undergo another chest X-ray to make sure she is not a TB carrier (doctors here don't honor the X-ray result from the Philippines). She's worried because of the radiation exposure since she just had X-ray a few months ago.

I hope that the USCIS will be able to look into this matter. It would have been better if TST be conducted in the Philippines before X-ray. That way, the expenses are lesser and most importantly, the applicant's health is safely guarded from radiation exposure.

What's your opinion about this?

As a government employee myself. I will say that the TB BS test is nothing more then RED TAPE that is outdated, inaccurate at best, and serves only to create busy work for some government employees who are ensconced into nice comfy positions. Naty's chest X Ray "revealed" a small white spot on her left lung. This was enough to trigger the Sputum test and put us into a holding pattern for 2 months and add stress to an already stressful process ( Can I have an AMEN?) Of course it came back "negative" but others have been put into the 6 month treatment program. I am willing to bet that there is a quota that has to be filled with X number of "positive" applicants each cycle to keep the program full.

I don't know about the quota, but TB spreads, I'd rather have a goverment that keeps their citizen safe but doing routine testings than a lax one that just lets people get sick. If I got a spot on my xray, I'd rather go through the test too, I wanna know if I'm sick or not. But then again, that's just me. I'd rather take care of health issues head on than pretend it does not exist and make it worse.

I am not a med student, I don't know if the test is outdated, but I do know that the SLEC have caught quite a few cases of TB with this routine medical exam. Imagine how many people would've been infected by TB if not for the routine test. But again, that's just my opinion. Health is wealth!

[griffin 7]

Greetings!

Prior of getting hired in the medical field job. i was asked for physcial medical test they sent me to health business center. When the nurse was about to do the skin tb test i told her that i had BCG vaccine and she told me no problem just take the chest x ray instead as it may react.

Griffin

[Brian&Naty 0]

Just want to share my opinion regarding the chest X-ray and TB skin test.

I think the chest X-ray that every applicant should undergo in St. Lukes is useless and hazardous after the USCIS change policies on medical issues, specifically the TST (TB skin test).

A friend of mine who is in the US now just had her chest X-ray 3 months ago back in the Philippines. They just filed her AOS where one of the requirements is the TST. As expected, she was positive (most Filipinas get a positive TST). The bad news is, she had to undergo another chest X-ray to make sure she is not a TB carrier (doctors here don't honor the X-ray result from the Philippines). She's worried because of the radiation exposure since she just had X-ray a few months ago.

I hope that the USCIS will be able to look into this matter. It would have been better if TST be conducted in the Philippines before X-ray. That way, the expenses are lesser and most importantly, the applicant's health is safely guarded from radiation exposure.

What's your opinion about this?

As a government employee myself. I will say that the TB BS test is nothing more then RED TAPE that is outdated, inaccurate at best, and serves only to create busy work for some government employees who are ensconced into nice comfy positions. Naty's chest X Ray "revealed" a small white spot on her left lung. This was enough to trigger the Sputum test and put us into a holding pattern for 2 months and add stress to an already stressful process ( Can I have an AMEN?) Of course it came back "negative" but others have been put into the 6 month treatment program. I am willing to bet that there is a quota that has to be filled with X number of "positive" applicants each cycle to keep the program full.

I don't know about the quota, but TB spreads, I'd rather have a goverment that keeps their citizen safe but doing routine testings than a lax one that just lets people get sick. If I got a spot on my xray, I'd rather go through the test too, I wanna know if I'm sick or not. But then again, that's just me. I'd rather take care of health issues head on than pretend it does not exist and make it worse.

I am not a med student, I don't know if the test is outdated, but I do know that the SLEC have caught quite a few cases of TB with this routine medical exam. Imagine how many people would've been infected by TB if not for the routine test. But again, that's just my opinion. Health is wealth!

Yes, but, I was in the Philippines, I did not have to be tested coming out to be sure I did not contract a strain of TB. How many Americans are in the Philippines or other countries for extended periods of time? In addition. There are cases of TB here in the US. While I agree with your point of view to an extent, there are far better tests with much faster (and more accurate) results that simply have not been implemented.

[chinese_mutt 11]

Just want to share my opinion regarding the chest X-ray and TB skin test.

I think the chest X-ray that every applicant should undergo in St. Lukes is useless and hazardous after the USCIS change policies on medical issues, specifically the TST (TB skin test).

A friend of mine who is in the US now just had her chest X-ray 3 months ago back in the Philippines. They just filed her AOS where one of the requirements is the TST. As expected, she was positive (most Filipinas get a positive TST). The bad news is, she had to undergo another chest X-ray to make sure she is not a TB carrier (doctors here don't honor the X-ray result from the Philippines). She's worried because of the radiation exposure since she just had X-ray a few months ago.

I hope that the USCIS will be able to look into this matter. It would have been better if TST be conducted in the Philippines before X-ray. That way, the expenses are lesser and most importantly, the applicant's health is safely guarded from radiation exposure.

What's your opinion about this?

As a government employee myself. I will say that the TB BS test is nothing more then RED TAPE that is outdated, inaccurate at best, and serves only to create busy work for some government employees who are ensconced into nice comfy positions. Naty's chest X Ray "revealed" a small white spot on her left lung. This was enough to trigger the Sputum test and put us into a holding pattern for 2 months and add stress to an already stressful process ( Can I have an AMEN?) Of course it came back "negative" but others have been put into the 6 month treatment program. I am willing to bet that there is a quota that has to be filled with X number of "positive" applicants each cycle to keep the program full.

I don't know about the quota, but TB spreads, I'd rather have a goverment that keeps their citizen safe but doing routine testings than a lax one that just lets people get sick. If I got a spot on my xray, I'd rather go through the test too, I wanna know if I'm sick or not. But then again, that's just me. I'd rather take care of health issues head on than pretend it does not exist and make it worse.

I am not a med student, I don't know if the test is outdated, but I do know that the SLEC have caught quite a few cases of TB with this routine medical exam. Imagine how many people would've been infected by TB if not for the routine test. But again, that's just my opinion. Health is wealth!

Yes, but, I was in the Philippines, I did not have to be tested coming out to be sure I did not contract a strain of TB. How many Americans are in the Philippines or other countries for extended periods of time? In addition. There are cases of TB here in the US. While I agree with your point of view to an extent, there are far better tests with much faster (and more accurate) results that simply have not been implemented.

Oh really there are other far more faster and more acurate test?? That I did not know of, maybe it' too expensive and won't fit the PHP10,450 worth of medical text expense.

[RyaNRiza 1]

Why does she has to undergo another TB test for AOS? All she need to do is to complete her vaccination and have her medical transcribed by a civil surgeon.

It's the new medical policy that USCIS requires for AOS applicants. It became effective on May 1, 2008 but with a grace period of one month. So, it came into full effect June 1, 2008. Here's the link.

My medical exam in St. Luke's was May 2008 and I was covered with the grace period given. However, I decided to go for TST for the "just in case" reasons since we didn't want to get an RFE and delay the AOS process. Besides, the CS didn't honor my chest x-ray from St. Luke's. Fortunately, my TST result was negative which is not very common among Filipinas.

Edited July 30, 2009 by RyaNRiza