My Filipina Fiancee might have TB

[TeddyHoney 42]

My Filipina Fiancee has had bad cough and cold since weekend of Feb 19th. This past weekend it seemed much better but Tuesday she had fever and cough was worse and kept her up all Monday night so she went to the clinic Tuesday morning and they gave her a chest x-ray. Today she got the results of the x-ray and she told me they said they cannot determine if she has pneumonia or TB. So they they gave her the shot under the skin to verify if she has TB or not.

Assuming she has TB (I'm going worst case here!) what can we do now for treatment and how long will that take? We are October 2010 I-129F filers and may get NOA2 or something this month or next (maybe) but what have others and thier Filipina Fiancees done in situation where they have found out the Fiancee has TB while waiting for NOA2? Or even at her medical exam?

What kind of K-1 VISA process delays can we expect?

She's REALLY broken up about this. I leave to visit her next week.

Thanks for any information or sharing.

TeddyHoney and SqueezyBear

(Derrick and Ritchie)

[MinnielovesMickey 4]

hi...from what i know,ptb have 6months continious treatment and by 2 weeks of treatment you shouldn't be contagious anymore,Ptb is can be easy to treat and if ur asking about medical exam here in philippines i think once she's already undergoing a treatment,st lukes will just recommend her for check up and this will just delay the visa approval for few weeks or month or not a problem anymore cause she wouldn't be contagious anymore so there's a doubt if US embassy here would hold her visa.

Glaiza

[happyme'11 3]

My Filipina Fiancee has had bad cough and cold since weekend of Feb 19th. This past weekend it seemed much better but Tuesday she had fever and cough was worse and kept her up all Monday night so she went to the clinic Tuesday morning and they gave her a chest x-ray. Today she got the results of the x-ray and she told me they said they cannot determine if she has pneumonia or TB. So they they gave her the shot under the skin to verify if she has TB or not.

Assuming she has TB (I'm going worst case here!) what can we do now for treatment and how long will that take? We are October 2010 I-129F filers and may get NOA2 or something this month or next (maybe) but what have others and thier Filipina Fiancees done in situation where they have found out the Fiancee has TB while waiting for NOA2? Or even at her medical exam?

What kind of K-1 VISA process delays can we expect?

She's REALLY broken up about this. I leave to visit her next week.

Thanks for any information or sharing.

TeddyHoney and SqueezyBear

(Derrick and Ritchie)

If worst scnario comes which am hoping not.. the medication is 9 months and has to be done at St. LUkes.

[KYLEandUAN 1]

If its Positive PTB,just need to take medication religiously for 6 months. Since youre still waiting for your NOA2, its best time to start with medication. There will be delay but it wont be much if you start treating it right now.

[DaveE 178]

My step daughter failed her TB test (the skin test). They didn't delay her at all; just approved her visa and let her come to the states. At POE Detroit they informed my wife (fiancee then), that they were notifying the Georgia Health Department and that they would be in touch. About a week after they arrived, I got a call from the local health dept telling me to get a chest xray for the girl and bring her in. After reviewing the chest xray, they put her on a nine month regimen of daily tablets and a blood test every month. She has two months left.

[TeddyHoney 42]

If its Positive PTB,just need to take medication religiously for 6 months. Since youre still waiting for your NOA2, its best time to start with medication. There will be delay but it wont be much if you start treating it right now.

Currently (as of yesterday) they have started her on Antibiotics for her pneumonia (I'm hoping this is all she has) They also gave her the under skin shot and she is to have result of that by saturday. I'm assuning if that test is positive they will start her treatment?

Thanks for your reply!

TeddyHoney and SqueezyBear

(Derrick and Ritchie)

[TeddyHoney 42]

My step daughter failed her TB test (the skin test). They didn't delay her at all; just approved her visa and let her come to the states. At POE Detroit they informed my wife (fiancee then), that they were notifying the Georgia Health Department and that they would be in touch. About a week after they arrived, I got a call from the local health dept telling me to get a chest xray for the girl and bring her in. After reviewing the chest xray, they put her on a nine month regimen of daily tablets and a blood test every month. She has two months left.

Yes that reminds me. I remember now that my ex Filipina wife that I petitioned for her IR and for her then 2 yr old son, they found something on his lung but he still got his VISA and about a year after POE we were notified to go to a particular hospital with the x-rays (I went to get him cuz her came 6 months after his mom and I think he came with x-rays). Anyway we went to the hospital and there was no required follow up. He's 16 now, I don;t remember ever hom having any treatment after that visit to hospital back then when he was I think 4 then.

I'm hoping my Fianceejst have pneumonia and her skin test results Saturday will be negative.

Thank you for your response!

TeddyHoney and SqueezyBear

(Derrick and Ritchie)

[TeddyHoney 42]

hi...from what i know,ptb have 6months continious treatment and by 2 weeks of treatment you shouldn't be contagious anymore,Ptb is can be easy to treat and if ur asking about medical exam here in philippines i think once she's already undergoing a treatment,st lukes will just recommend her for check up and this will just delay the visa approval for few weeks or month or not a problem anymore cause she wouldn't be contagious anymore so there's a doubt if US embassy here would hold her visa.

Glaiza

Yes it seems that what i am reading here is that if she have active TB she will start a 6-9 month treatment and in a few weeks she should not be contagious anymore and can still get her VISA (maybe delayed a month or so) and will continue her treatment. I hope that is correct. I hope more that she only have pneumonia and her under skin test result Saturday is negative.

Thanks!

TeddyHoney and SqueezyBear

(Derrick and Ritchie)

[happyme'11 3]

My step daughter failed her TB test (the skin test). They didn't delay her at all; just approved her visa and let her come to the states. At POE Detroit they informed my wife (fiancee then), that they were notifying the Georgia Health Department and that they would be in touch. About a week after they arrived, I got a call from the local health dept telling me to get a chest xray for the girl and bring her in. After reviewing the chest xray, they put her on a nine month regimen of daily tablets and a blood test every month. She has two months left.

Where in GA are u from? I am in Gainesville.

[TeddyHoney 42]

So if she had a TB vaccine at some time in her life then her under skin test will be positive? So if she's had the vaccine then she shouldn't have TB then - right? (I'm an IT guy and have NO medical experience what so ever - even though I have had a kidney transplant and two hip replacements and several surgeries!). Of course she has no record of any immunizations or vaccines. I've been really spoiled being born and raised here in US!

So she may or may not have TB. Even if she doesn't have it active, she may have been vaccined for it and that may make her test show positive - correct? So if she shows positive but doesn't have active TB, then what?

I guess not matter what the under skin test show, she will need another x-ray probably after she finishes the antibiotic for what may be (I hope is) pneumonia.

Why do they still have it so rampant there and we have pretty much eliminated it here?

TeddyHoney and SqueezyBear

(Derrick and Ritchie)

[sjr09 155]

My step daughter failed her TB test (the skin test). They didn't delay her at all; just approved her visa and let her come to the states. At POE Detroit they informed my wife (fiancee then), that they were notifying the Georgia Health Department and that they would be in touch. About a week after they arrived, I got a call from the local health dept telling me to get a chest xray for the girl and bring her in. After reviewing the chest xray, they put her on a nine month regimen of daily tablets and a blood test every month. She has two months left.

Your daughter did not have active TB, but non (active TB) latent tuberculosis infection, latent TB or LTBI

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but does not have active tuberculosis disease. Patients with latent tuberculosis are not infectious, and it is not possible to get TB from someone with latent tuberculosis. Thus she was able to travel and you was contacted by the local health dept..

[sjr09 155]

So if she had a TB vaccine at some time in her life then her under skin test will be positive? So if she's had the vaccine then she shouldn't have TB then - right? (I'm an IT guy and have NO medical experience what so ever - even though I have had a kidney transplant and two hip replacements and several surgeries!). Of course she has no record of any immunizations or vaccines. I've been really spoiled being born and raised here in US!

So she may or may not have TB. Even if she doesn't have it active, she may have been vaccined for it and that may make her test show positive - correct? So if she shows positive but doesn't have active TB, then what?

I guess not matter what the under skin test show, she will need another x-ray probably after she finishes the antibiotic for what may be (I hope is) pneumonia.

Why do they still have it so rampant there and we have pretty much eliminated it here?

TeddyHoney and SqueezyBear

(Derrick and Ritchie)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis. X-RAY will not show LTBI LATENT TB

There are ways to test people whom had BCG Vaccinations.Since the QuantiFERON®-TB Gold test does not cross-react with BCG, this test will be

particularly useful for testing individuals with history of BCG vaccination. Blood-based testing has become available as an alternative to the TB skin test since 2001. Another blood-based test, the Elispot® is approved for clinical use in Europe and is

undergoing testing in the United States. Testing programs using the QuantiFERON® tests

(or other blood based tests such as the Elispot® that are under evaluation) should only be

implemented if quality laboratory services are ensured and if plans are in place for followup

medical evaluation and treatment of persons who are diagnosed with LTBI.

Not all "Asians" have had BCG vaccinations. The tuberculin skin test performed by the Mantoux method is the most commonly used method for identifying TB infection.

Test all people who are high risk, regardless of BCG history.

Tests for TB infection are not contraindicated for persons who have been vaccinated with

BCG. A history of BCG vaccination should not be considered when deciding whether to

test and determining whether the test result is positive in high-risk individuals

Although BCG vaccination can cause a false positive cross-reaction to the TST (especially

within the first 12 months after vaccination), sensitivity to tuberculin is highly variable

and tends to decrease over time. (Wear off) There is no way to distinguish between a positive

reaction due to BCG-induced sensitivity and a positive reaction due to true LTBI.

Therefore, a positive reaction to the TST in BCG-vaccinated persons should be interpreted as indicating infection with M. tuberculosis when the person tested is at increased risk of

recent infection or has a medical condition that increases the risk of progression to activeTB disease.

Ten Points for Testing and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infection

1. Target all tuberculin skin testing to persons at high risk for TB

2. Test all people who are at high risk, regardless of BCG history

　

3. Decide which test to use for diagnosing latent TB infection

4. Determine if the test for TB infection is positive

5. Rule out active TB disease in persons with positive skin tests

6. Provide treatment for high-risk individuals diagnosed with latent TB infection,

regardless of age.

7. Take special care when testing and treating HIV-positive individuals

8. Carefully consider treatment for pregnant women, children, contacts of persons

with multidrug-resistant TB, and individuals with evidence of old, healed TB

9. Monitor all patients carefully during the treatment of LTBI

10. Ensure adherence during LTBI treatment

TST results should always be recorded as millimeters (mm) of induration; if there is no

induration, the result should be recorded as "0 mm". Based on the size of the induration,

there are three cutoff points for defining a positive TST result: =5, =10, and =15 mm of

induration . For individuals who are at highest risk of developing TB disease

if infected with M. tuberculosis, a =5 mm induration is considered positive. An induration

of =10 mm should be considered positive for groups with an increased probability of

developing TB disease. Routine tuberculin testing is not recommended for populations at

low risk of LTBI; however, if these persons are tested, a cutoff of =15 mm is considered positive

Recent immigrants (those who have been in the United States <5 years) from

countries with high rates of TB should receive a test for TB infection the first time

they enter the medical care system in the U.S.

Rule out active TB disease in persons with positive test for TB infection.

Any individual with a newly identified positive test for TB infection should be evaluated

for TB disease with a medical examination and a chest x-ray. If the initial chest x-ray is

negative for active TB disease and the person has no symptoms consistent with active TB,

the individual should be evaluated for treatment of LTBI (see Point 6). If a CXR was

done within 3 months of start of LTBI treatment and was normal, a repeat CXR may not be necessary. If a decision is made to not treat the individual, further follow-up with

periodic chest x-rays is generally not indicated.

An individual with TB symptoms or an abnormal chest x-ray should be propriately

evaluated with sputa and other tests as indicated. Active TB (pulmonary or extrapulmonary) should be ruled out before treatment for LTBI

Edited March 2, 2011 by sjr09

[Alex B 9]

I had a positive TB test when I went for my physical for I-485. I was on H1B at the time.

I had had the BGC vaccine when I was at high school in the UK. They considered that the BCG could cause a false positive but my chest X-ray confirmed that I had a latent infection. Also the skin test only supposedly reacts mildly to the vaccine. My reaction was not mild!

The county health dept gave me isonaizid (my spelling may be off here) for 6 months and then a letter saying that I'd completed the course. This did not affect my ability to adjust status and the health dept said that they were more concerned that the latent infection could become active when I was in old age, at which time it would be much more difficult to treat. I don't know what affect this will have on an immigrant visa.

What would be the effect if you were to start treatment now and produce a letter at your interview stating as such?

Alex.

[sjr09 155]

I had a positive TB test when I went for my physical for I-485. I was on H1B at the time.

I had had the BGC vaccine when I was at high school in the UK. They considered that the BCG could cause a false positive but my chest X-ray confirmed that I had a latent infection. Also the skin test only supposedly reacts mildly to the vaccine. My reaction was not mild!

The county health dept gave me isonaizid (my spelling may be off here) for 6 months and then a letter saying that I'd completed the course. This did not affect my ability to adjust status and the health dept said that they were more concerned that the latent infection could become active when I was in old age, at which time it would be much more difficult to treat. I don't know what affect this will have on an immigrant visa.

What would be the effect if you were to start treatment now and produce a letter at your interview stating as such?

Alex.

Your spelling is right. Isoniazid treatment in the US is 9months for LTBI

[sjr09 155]

I had a positive TB test when I went for my physical for I-485. I was on H1B at the time.

I had had the BGC vaccine when I was at high school in the UK. They considered that the BCG could cause a false positive but my chest X-ray confirmed that I had a latent infection. Also the skin test only supposedly reacts mildly to the vaccine. My reaction was not mild!

The county health dept gave me isonaizid (my spelling may be off here) for 6 months and then a letter saying that I'd completed the course. This did not affect my ability to adjust status and the health dept said that they were more concerned that the latent infection could become active when I was in old age, at which time it would be much more difficult to treat. I don't know what affect this will have on an immigrant visa.

What would be the effect if you were to start treatment now and produce a letter at your interview stating as such?

Alex.

All adult individuals SLMC regardless of pass treatment or not will take chest x-ray, if at that point a spot is found on the film, then a sputa tests