Why it is impossible to wet the mantoux sample. Recommendations after mantoux: when can I wash? Mantoux reaction and Pirquet test - different names, the essence is the same

The question of whether it is possible to wet Mantoux is rooted in the deep past. In that past, poorly educated nurses who knew the Pirque test well, having put down Mantoux, strictly forbade wetting it. Immediately, as is often the case among children, a rumor spread that if you wet Mantoux, there would be tuberculosis.

A lot of time has passed since then, and there are probably no nurses left who would remember Pirk. But the horror story about “wetting Manta” lives on and continues to frighten not only children, but also adults.

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What is a Mantoux test?

It consists in assessing the body's response to the introduction of tuberculin into the upper layers of the skin (i.e. not subcutaneously, but intradermally). This preparation contains mortified fragments and has been widely used for more than half a century all over the world.

In the most general sense, the Mantoux test allows you to determine the intensity of a person's immunity to a tuberculosis pathogen.

Under the tension of immunity understand the intensity of the response of the immune system when a particular infection enters the body. Immunity is a complex multi-level system built on the principle of learning. In order for him to react in a timely manner to bacteria and viruses, he must be familiar with them. Such an acquaintance can take place:

• When transferring the disease;
• after vaccination.

Acquired immunity lasts for years. In the first 2-3 years, it is the most intense, i.e. most responsive to stimuli. Then it starts to weaken. In some people, residual tension can be observed even after 10 years.

The above principles of the immune system underlie the use of Mantoux.

1. If the body is not familiar with the tuberculosis bacterium, then after the introduction of tuberculin, there will be no reaction.
2. If the body knows a tuberculosis infection, then a chain of immune reactions will be launched.

In the second case, the immune cells, "remembering", in contact with the antigens contained in tuberculin, start a set of processes, including: the production of interferons and other protein complexes, the activity of which is aimed at isolating the introduced tuberculin.

The more cells in the body that remember the tuberculous pathogen, the more intense the process of tuberculin isolation in the skin will proceed, the larger the size of the resulting papule will be.

Why do Mantou?

The Mantoux test shows whether the immune system is familiar with tuberculosis.

It diagnoses 3 conditions:

• Vaccination;
• latent tuberculosis;
• tuberculosis in the active phase.

In the first case, a positive reaction shows that the anti-tuberculosis immunity reacts normally and the person is protected from tuberculosis. Negative - that there is no immunity, and vaccination is required. in the first week of birth and then revaccination is carried out at 7 years. Therefore, in children, the Mantoux test checks, mainly, the immune response to tuberculin.

In the second and third cases, a positive reaction indicates the need for treatment.

Why can't you wet Manta?

The legend that it is impossible to wet Manta, because you can spoil the result, apparently arose a long time ago. Before they started using Mantoux, which is injected into the skin with a special syringe, the Pirquet test was used. It was placed on the skin, by applying notches to the skin - in the same way as any allergological test is performed (tuberculin is the allergen).

It was impossible to wet the Pirquet test: wounds remained on the skin, into which, along with water, an infection or any irritants could get. Thus, the inflammation could have been provoked not by an immune response to tuberculin, but by third-party factors. Naturally, the accuracy of the method suffered from this.

Intradermal administration, which was invented by Charles Mantoux, had an advantage over the Pirquet method: it made it possible to reduce the effect of external stimuli on the test results to zero.

Thus, Mantoux can be wetted. And this is her big plus.

How many days can not wet?

Short-term contact of water with the sample site does not affect the test results in any way.

Tuberculin is injected into the skin. The puncture is made with a thin needle. At the puncture site, the blood coagulates very quickly. From the external environment, nothing can penetrate to the injection site of tuberculin and affect the further reaction.

Nobody forbids you to wet Manta if you do it for a short time, for example, when you wash your hands.

But the question of how much Mantoux cannot be wetted still has the right to exist. Here are the "wet" situations to avoid:

• Bathing;
• swimming in the pool;
• swimming in fresh water.

All this must be abandoned for 3 days.

When can you wet Mantoux?

Since the short-term contact of the test site with water does not have any effect on the further reaction, Mantoux can be wetted on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days.

If possible, you should refuse to use at the injection site:

• Any irritating detergents;
• alcohol solutions;
• sanitary napkins or cosmetics that you have never used before.

Creams and other cosmetic products can cause local irritation. Although the probability of this is quite low, it is not worth the risk. If you get irritated, you can start scratching the injection site - and this is something you should not do.

What to do if you wet Manta

If you wet Mantoux, then you can do it in several ways:

• Do nothing, wait 5 minutes - the water will dry itself;
• blot the sample site with a tissue or paper towel.

What not to do: use a towel to wipe.

What not to do: wipe the injection site with a towel, rubbing it hard over your arm. With this, you can cause itching at the injection site and start scratching it.

How not to wet Manta

If you are still afraid, then just avoid getting water on the injection site.

You can not peck this place with a plaster or wrap it with polyethylene. Such things can cause more harm than contact with water. Closed skin will sweat, get warmer and itch more.

Effects

Thus, if you simply wet Mantoux with water, did not use irritating detergents, unfamiliar cosmetics, and did not aggressively wipe the sample site, then there will be no consequences.

At the same time, prolonged exposure to water should be avoided. Again, this is not an absolute contraindication. Most likely, there will be no consequences for further interpretation of the sample either. But it is better not to lie in the bath and not to swim for 2 hours in the pool.

Do not rub the injection site with a washcloth or bath brush. This can lead to itching and scratching, which will certainly affect the result of the test.

Freshwater lakes and rivers are habitats for various microorganisms. Children with established Mantoux need to be careful. Scratching at the site of the test may lead to micro-inflammation and invalidate the tuberculin test result.

From the video you can learn about the rules of conduct after a mantoux test.

Conclusion

Thus, if you wet Mantoux, there is nothing to worry about. Simply blot the area with a tissue or wait for it to dry naturally, avoiding vigorous mechanical wiping.

From childhood, we know the rule - by no means! But few people know about the true reasons for this strict ban. Why are experts against contact between the vaccination site and water, and what will happen if the Mantoux test is wet? This is what we will try to find out in today's article.

So, what is the Mantoux vaccination?

The tuberculin test or PDD test is commonly referred to as the Mantoux test. It is carried out in order to track the body's reaction to the subcutaneous injection of tuberculin, a drug consisting of the products of tuberculosis bacillus. That is, the Mantoux reaction indicates that .

The test result is evaluated as follows:

• a positive response means past contact with the infection, and now it is present in the body,
• a negative answer indicates that the body has never had contact with a tubercle bacillus.

Thus, the Mantoux reaction helps to identify at the initial stage the beginnings of such a serious disease as tuberculosis. As a rule, it is carried out annually, this is due to the fact that susceptibility to tuberculosis is quite high, that is, it is very easy to get infected with it, so it is important to systematically monitor the condition of each child.

The Mantoux reaction is carried out as follows: 1 g of the drug is injected subcutaneously into the child's forearm with a tuberculin syringe. As a result, a papule or “button” remains at the injection site, which subsequently serves as an indicator. After 72 hours, the diameter of the "button" is determined using a ruler and compared with the standards.

A negative result corresponds to a papule 0 - 1 mm, a positive result - more than 5 mm and hyperemia around the injection site. There is also a dubious result if the “button” is within 2–4 mm, however, the area of ​​redness around it will be larger. This suggests that there is an excess of tubercle bacilli in the body, or it simply means an individual reaction of the body to the injected tuberculin.

Mantoux reaction (tuberculin diagnostics)- This is a special intradermal test, with which you can determine the characteristics of the body's response to the introduction of tuberculin. This drug contains dead elements of tuberculosis bacteria. An intradermal test is regularly done for children of kindergarten and school age. It allows you to determine whether boys and girls have a tendency to tuberculosis. Quite often, parents have a question, is it possible to wet Mantoux? How many days can not wet Mantoux? With the help of this article, you will find answers to all your questions.

The procedure for introducing tuberculin is quite simple. A nurse or doctor injects a small amount of special extracts of microbacteria into the area of ​​​​the forearm. After that, the child has a characteristic allergic reaction of the body at the injection site. Exactly three days later, the Mantoux test will increase slightly and turn red. It is better not to wet and comb it once again. Otherwise, the results may be incorrect.

This test has a huge number of positive differences. It is available to all children up to a certain age. The desired result can be obtained within three days after the introduction of tuberculin. Subject to all aspects and rules, such a test is very accurate.

A positive result diagnoses a deviation of the state of the body from the norm. In this case, the child must undergo a vaccination procedure. If the necessary vaccination was already done at the age of 7, then the Mantoux test will mainly demonstrate the body's reaction to the dead tuberculosis bacteria. Do not worry too much if the diameter of the button is greater than 0.5. This does not mean that your child is sick with this dangerous disease, it is necessary to undergo an additional examination. In this case, it would be best to consult with your doctor.

How water affects the sample

There are a huge number of myths that are associated with the Mantoux reaction. There is a rumor among children that due to the influence of water on the injection site, you can even get tuberculosis. The question of why it is impossible to wet Mantoux arises quite often.

- predecessor mantoux. It was made by applying characteristic notches to the skin. In children, small wounds appeared on the forearm, which very often got infected after contact with dirty water. It was from that time that a superstition appeared that one should not wet the hand for a long period of time. At the moment, the Birke test is considered obsolete. It was replaced by a more modern analogue - Mantoux. Intradermal injection has a huge number of advantages. This method of tuberculin diagnostics minimized the number of factors that could affect the correctness of the results.

How long to avoid contact with water

If you are interested in the question of how much you can not wet Mantoux, then you can stop worrying. Small contact with water does not threaten the effectiveness of the sample. You can safely wash your hands and take a shower even on the first day after you made Mantoux. The amount of liquid must be large enough to affect the reaction that occurs under the skin.

There are several cases in which it is better not to wet Mantu. Try to avoid long-term baths, do not lather your forearms with a washcloth. If you rub the piercing site too hard, you may scratch it. The red spot will increase several times.

It is necessary to try not to swim in pools and fresh lakes, as well as the seas. In many children, the test then increases several times.

Factors that may affect Mantoux

There are a number of other factors that can damage the target area of ​​the skin. At the injection site, you can not place a bandage, as well as intensively comb and rub the target area with alcohol. Do not cover the red spot with a band-aid. Many children experience a specific allergic reaction after applying iodine, moisturizer, shower gel or soap. At the same time, Mantoux can be wetted with ordinary water.

Spot size can also be affected by internal aspects of the body. Vaccinations affect the immune system. Mantu can be done after a certain period of time after vaccination (approximate period - 1 month). It is also not recommended to do a test during the treatment process for skin diseases and allergies. The child must be completely healthy and not complain of a cold.

What to do if a lot of water gets on Mantoux

If you still wet the Mantoux reaction, no need to panic. Pat it gently with a soft towel. Most likely, the redness will not increase much in size. If the stain after three days has become abnormally large, report the fact that liquid has entered the injection site.

After the injection, parents should constantly monitor the child's actions while taking a shower, as well as washing hands. Explain to your children the basic rules to follow after the test. You don't have to worry too much about how long you can't wet your child's Manta. Liquid ingress will not affect the spot size in any way, but to ensure the accuracy of the result, it is recommended to minimize the contact of water with the forearm.

Brief conclusions on the topic

Thus, we learned why it is undesirable to wet Mantoux. If, however, a lot of water got into the sample area and the red spot greatly increased in size, it is recommended to undergo the tuberculin diagnosis procedure again after a while. Also, additionally communicate with an experienced specialist, a qualified doctor will be happy to answer all your questions.

Remember that you can wet the Mantoux reaction. It can not be combed and kept under water for a long time.

Quick response: 48-96 hours.

The tuberculin test, which we most often refer to as the Mantoux shot, is a skin test that can be used to detect the presence of an immune response to tuberculin injected under the skin. In other words, with the help of this test, an experienced specialist can understand whether a person has a tuberculosis infection in the body or whether it is absent.

Tuberculin itself is a rod that causes tuberculosis, but there is nothing living in it, so it will not work to get sick with tuberculosis. At the same time, this injection is an allergen, the reaction of which is reflected on the surface of the skin.

After the Mantoux was made, it should take a few days to see the result. As a rule, the test can be carried out as early as two days after the injection, but experts recommend doing this no earlier than three days later. In most cases, the "button" (allergic reaction) has a size of no more than 5 millimeters in diameter, which is the norm. If its size is approximately doubled, then this may indicate a possible infection with tuberculosis. In cases where the size of the skin seal is 15 mm, the likelihood of infection is extremely high.

At the same time, the tuberculin test never and under no circumstances provides information about where the disease is localized or how dangerous it is for humans. No, the "button" causes only a reaction of the body, which, perhaps, confirms the fact of infection with tuberculosis, although this is far from the most reliable source, it is only the most accessible.

Let's move on to the most important thing - doctors who vaccinate always say that the sample cannot be wetted. According to experts, this opinion is erroneous and has been preserved, apparently, since the time of the Pirquet test, which was actually forbidden to wet, since it was applied to previously scratched skin. Mantu is injected under the skin, so it is not affected by water. However, it can change its size under the influence of chemical or physical processes, so it is undesirable to touch this place while taking a shower or bath. Doctors are probably aware of this, but in the old fashioned way they advise people, including most children, not to wet the hand into which the infection has been introduced, since excessive exposure can really affect the size of the “button”.

Thus, it turns out that Mantoux cannot be wetted for about three days, until the doctor checks the size of the skin induration. In addition, do not scratch it, because this will not lead to good and the sample will have to be injected again. Or you will be sent to a tuberculosis dispensary for examination.

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