Mantoux test: is it necessary to do it and what can it be replaced with? If your child has a positive Mantoux test. Is the Mantoux test required?

• What is the Mantoux test?
• Should I make Mantoux?
• Prevention of tuberculosis

Mandatory? Many mothers ask pediatricians this question. It is immediately necessary to clarify that vaccination is called incorrectly. Is not . Its goal is not to develop immunity against a specific pathogen, but to determine whether there are mycobacteria in the body that cause tuberculosis. Every year the number of people suffering from tuberculosis throughout the world is increasing, both adults and children suffer from it. The mortality rate from this disease is increasing every year. Therefore, the test is very important for the early diagnosis of tuberculosis in a child.

Is it mandatory to make Mantoux? Is there any alternative?

The Mantoux test (tuberculin test) is a subcutaneous injection of tuberculin and a further assessment of the immune response to it. If the reaction to the administered drug is pronounced, this means that the immune system is already familiar with the causative agent of tuberculosis and reacts to it. Tuberculin is an extract of mycobacteria, which are the causative agents of tuberculosis.

The test result is usually assessed on the third day. It is not redness that is being studied, but a compaction, a papule (the so-called button). Depending on its size, the sample result can be positive, negative, false positive or doubtful. The pediatrician evaluates the results and records them in the outpatient and vaccination records. In some cases, it is possible to refer the child to an appointment with a TB specialist to confirm or refute tuberculosis.

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Should I make Mantoux?

It is usually given to children after the first year of life until they are 18 years old every 12 months. It is not advisable to do it for young children, since the results will be unreliable. Mantoux is usually done in a garden, school or clinic at the place of residence.

In Soviet times, the Mantoux test was given to all children without exception. Nowadays there are many parents who are against not only this test, but also vaccination of the baby in general. There are a lot of disputes about this. However, if the child has not had a tuberculin test, there may be problems in the kindergarten or school. Is this legal?

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Prevention of tuberculosis

In accordance with the Sanitary and Epidemiological Rules SP 3.1.1295-03 (prevention of tuberculosis), parents whose children have tested positive or questionable for tuberculosis must provide a certificate from a phthisiatrician stating that the child is healthy within a month from the date of the test. Without this certificate, it is recommended that the child not be allowed into the kindergarten or school. Recommended, but not required. But what should parents do if they are fundamentally against the Mantoux test? Not a word is said about this in this document.

In practice, an alternative to the Mantoux test can be an x-ray of the lungs, which is recommended for children to do once every two years. Another way to avoid testing is Diaskintest.

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Which is better: Mantoux reaction or x-ray?

It is worth thinking carefully about what is more harmful to the child’s body (or x-rays). It is unlikely that X-rays can be a good alternative to the test, since X-rays are small doses of radioactive radiation, which can hardly be called useful for a growing organism. This procedure weakens the child's body, since it is more sensitive to radiation than, for example, the body of an adult. The use of radiographic examination may be justified if there are compelling reasons for this, for example, a suspicion of a fracture of the limb. But when it becomes necessary to conduct this examination even once every 2 years, the total x-ray load on the body will be excessive. This is a poor alternative to the Mantoux test.

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What is Diaskintest and Pirquet's test?

Diaskintest involves the injection under the skin of a solution of proteins characteristic of tuberculosis pathogens. This is a more effective test: it does not give a reaction to the BCG vaccination. Developed in Russia and is currently widely used. False-positive reactions during the diaskintest are practically impossible, with the exception of cases when a person suffers from cancer or is infected with HIV. In these cases, the immune system is weakened, which may negatively affect the test result.

There are certain contraindications to performing diaskintest:

1. Allergy or epilepsy.
2. Diseases of internal organs in the acute stage.
3. Infectious diseases with fever.
4. Recent scheduled vaccination of the child (more than a month must have passed since the date of vaccination).

If at least one point is present, a tuberculin test cannot be done. If your child has been sick recently, you should definitely wait a little while taking the test, since after the illness the body is still weakened for some time.

Over several years of use, Diaskintest has proven itself to be completely safe. In addition, its reliability is 90%.

The Pirquet test is similar to Mantoux both in its technique and in the interpretation of the results. The difference is that with the Pirquet test, scratches are applied to the skin without bruising. After 48 hours, the result is read.

Recently, medical laboratories have also used ELISA and PCR methods. Many parents are convinced that by testing their child’s blood, sputum or saliva using these methods, they can get a definite answer: is the child infected with mycobacteria or not. This is not entirely true. These methods are not effective when the infection of the body has occurred quite recently; they are not able to reflect the activity of tuberculosis pathogens.

The tuberculin reaction, also known as Mantoux, is a procedure surrounded by a lot of speculation and outdated information. Let's figure out what can and cannot be done after a mantoux reaction, who should not do it, and dispel the fears and misconceptions of parents.

What is Mantoux?

This method is needed to determine whether a child is infected with tuberculosis infection. Essentially, this is an immunological test, but not a vaccination. But it is needed precisely in order to select those children who need repeated BCG vaccinations. The first one is given immediately after birth, and the need for the next vaccination is determined using this test. To determine the presence of Koch bacilli, the tuberculosis pathogen is injected under the child’s skin, albeit destroyed. A few days after this procedure, the medical professional must assess the size of the resulting papule (that very “button”) and draw his own conclusions. Remember that if all other vaccinations for a child are contraindicated, then Mantoux can still be administered.

Typically, such tests are carried out before the age of 14-15, but can also be done at an older age. So, when at the age of 14 the “button” after Mantoux has sharply increased compared to the result at 13 years, Mantoux can be carried out until the age of 17-18.

If the papule is too large, is it definitely tuberculosis?

In theory, the increased size of the compaction indicates a strong reaction of the immune system and its tension relative to the tuberculosis bacillus; a positive result does not always indicate a tendency to the disease or that the child is already sick.

It can be positive after a recent BCG vaccination (and indeed any other vaccination), after a recent infectious disease, with a tendency to allergies, etc. That is why mantu is given to a child every year. It is important here that in a year the papule does not immediately increase by several millimeters. If the so-called mantoux turn has occurred, you can already think about it.

Since Mantoux is not an accurate indicator of the presence of tuberculosis, the child and his relatives, in case of a change, need to undergo other tests, including sputum culture and fluorography. Only after this can a diagnosis be made and anti-tuberculosis drugs prescribed. You may also be concerned in the following cases:

• If sensitivity to tuberculin (and papule) grows even a little, but every year;
• if the child had contact (even if only briefly) with someone who suffers from an open form of tuberculosis;
• if one of the family members suffered from this disease;
• if the child had to visit an area unfavorable for tuberculosis.

By the way, even infection does not mean the presence of tuberculosis: a tenth of those who are found to have tuberculous mycobacteria get sick. If you undergo prophylaxis with anti-tuberculosis antibiotics in time, the risk of getting sick becomes negligible.

Advice: Mantoux is recommended for every child, because parents do not know when he will have contact with an infected person. In addition, in many institutions, including children's, people with false health certificates may work, who have not undergone fluorography for a long time, and there is a risk of infection. And a son or daughter can walk in the same company with infected children...

When and to whom should mantu not be made?

Doctors say that Mantoux is harmless, so it can be given even to a child who has chronic diseases of internal organs, and Mantoux will not harm a healthy child.

Tuberculin does not contain Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is not administered too deeply, so mantu is not dangerous. But in some cases it cannot be done:

• Under the age of one year;
• for skin diseases;
• if less than one month has passed after any vaccination;
• with a tendency to epilepsy;
• during serious allergies;
• during quarantine;
• in case of exacerbation of any disease, whether infectious or non-infectious;

Mantu can be done a month after any of these reasons have disappeared.

What can you do after vaccination and what can’t you do?

Many mothers wonder what to do if the child wets the papules, when can they go for a walk, etc.

Everything that happens after Mantoux is not as scary as many people think. It is quite possible to walk after this test. It’s better to go for a walk after vaccination and you shouldn’t get too cold (due to the fact that the “behavior” of the immune system can be unpredictable), but the tuberculin test, as previously said, is not a vaccination.

There is also a popular opinion that after this test you should not get the injection site wet, and many perceive this as a dogma. In fact, after mantu you can swim, go to the pool, and generally engage in any water procedures. This belief arose during the period when the tuberculin test was carried out using the Pirquet test and other skin tests, in which tuberculin was administered by scratching the skin. Today, tuberculin with destroyed bacteria is injected deep under the skin, so it doesn’t matter whether the place was wet or not, doctors just have an installation from the past. But what you can’t do with a papule is scratch it and rub it with a washcloth. Also, you can’t put a patch on it and smear it with brilliant green or peroxide. Of course, under no circumstances should a tuberculin test be performed on the day of vaccination: how the immune system will react to this is unknown. It is forbidden to take antihistamines before the test. You should not do a test if your child is coughing: a cough is a reaction to a cold and allergies, which means the test result will most likely be incorrect.

It is important to know: if after the test there is blood at the site where it was performed, the result will be incorrect. But a new test will be possible only in a year.

How to care for a tuberculin test? It does not need special care, the main thing is not to touch the papule. If it gets very wet, it is enough to wipe the “button” with a soft cloth, and if an abscess appears or the papule is injured, with the permission of a doctor, you can treat it like an ordinary wound. In addition, after the test, before it and on the day of the test, it is better not to give the child the food to which he was allergic, as well as any citrus fruits.

What not to do with mantoux - advice and recommendations from experts What methods will help reduce the Mantoux reaction? Consequences of various types of vaccinations Mantoux test: why do it to a child, is it dangerous? If there are no contraindications, the mantoux test is the best test for tuberculosis
Alternative to mantoux for children of different ages
Mantoux - sample sizes and their standard values

At the meeting between the president and the cabinet of ministers, a problem was identified that will become very sensitive in the next ten years - the reduction in the birth rate.

Last year the increase was plus 18 thousand newborns. Seems not bad. But the year before there were 32 thousand. Almost twice as much. The fact is that the number of women of reproductive age in the country is decreasing. By 2025 there will be a third less of them compared to 2015. And there is no escape from this. This is what is called the “demographic hole” - a legacy of the 90s. When life was such that starting a family and raising children was a real challenge. To avoid a new recession, the number of large families needs to increase by 7-8 times. Their support includes maternal capital, new schools, kindergartens, and affordable and high-quality medical care.

Mantoux test. Everyone imagines what it is. Everyone had this test done as a child. And now all children take this test. This, by the way, is a test, and not a vaccination against tuberculosis, as some people think. This test shows whether there is a tuberculosis infection in the body. Recently, a new drug has appeared - Diaskintest. It also makes it possible to determine whether there are tuberculosis bacilli in the body. A discussion broke out about which test is better. The debate is tough at times. By the way, there are other tests. You can donate blood for analysis. There is almost one hundred percent reliability. But it is expensive - from four to seven thousand rubles. And Mantu or Diaskintest for children is free.

Tuberculosis remains a dangerous disease. Of course, not as dangerous as in the past. In classical Russian literature, a character with tuberculosis was almost obligatory. In the 90s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a sharp increase in incidence: up to ninety people per hundred thousand. Almost three times. In recent years, the incidence has decreased markedly.

Crime, suicide. Everywhere there was simply a rise in these indicators in the 90s. And then a decline in subsequent years. Here we see the same thing. Social upheavals, instability, and poverty always lead to an increase in mortality. In this regard, tuberculosis is a social disease. When the social situation improves, the incidence rate also falls, as it is now.

The table in the office of the Commissioner for Children's Rights is littered with complaints from parents - those who do not agree to the Mantoux test. And these are letters that came to Anna Kuznetsova just last week. Thousands of parents across Russia are boycotting the Mantoux procedure, which means that their children are not allowed into schools and kindergartens.

“Parents contacted the prosecutor’s office and went to court. And what provoked tension even more was the fact that the reaction of the inspection authorities was also ambiguous. The time has come when kindergartens even had two groups,” says Anna Kuznetsova.

One group of children who underwent the Mantoux test and those whose parents refused the procedure.

“Now the parents are separated. 50/50, probably. We are trying to convince and are convincing some parents,” says Inna Turyshkina, head of the office for the prevention of infectious diseases at children’s city clinic No. 1 in Vladimir.

Olga Stepanova, a mother of two children, could not be convinced. By law, any parent has the right to refuse tuberculosis testing. But according to another law, his child will not be allowed into the children's group.

“They tried to expel me from kindergarten, that is, they even issued an order. I understand that the director of the kindergarten is under pressure from the outside. I understand that this is their job. That is, there are sanitary rules that we are obliged to comply with,” says Olga Stepanova.

Olga refused to give Mantu to her child because her eldest daughter developed an allergy back in the 90s.

“I had a terrible allergy to the Mantoux reaction. The allergy manifested itself in terrible itching,” says Olga Stepanova.

Four-year-old Lida had a similar story, so her mother went on the path of fighting the local clinic. And not alone.

“There are a lot of us, such mothers. When I wrote this problem on the Internet, on a forum, we began to discuss it, and a lot of people responded. I have a whole bunch of signatures. We gathered in real life, we collected these signatures in order to appeal to the authorities. We can probably all be issued pediatrician diplomas, we already have that much information,” says Ekaterina Ozirnaya.

Such amateur pediatricians study, of course, on the Internet.

“Here is one of the articles, for example, from which many people draw information - “The Mantoux Test and Its Consequences,” shows Ekaterina Ozirnaya.

The same Internet page is also read by a pulmonologist and teacher at the Medical University. Sechenov. And he immediately finds numerous errors in the article. It is clear from the text that the author is not even a local therapist.

“You can’t wet this place for three days.” Can! It is undesirable to rub this place with a washcloth, like any place after an injection,” says a pulmonologist, associate professor of the Department of Hospital Therapy No. 1 of the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov Alexander Palman.

“They used to call it “one woman said it,” but now on the Internet it’s called “repost.” And someone said that someone was vaccinated and died. There was some kind of allergic reaction. By the 20th repost, it’s already “20 children have died in the city.” Moreover, no evidence is needed, they simply stated a fact. Therefore, there is a certain percentage of people who firmly believe in the theory of mass conspiracy that doctors are lying, but on the Internet they are telling the truth that doctors are in cahoots with pharmaceutical companies. That’s why they poison the people with evil, terrible medicines,” says Alexander Palman.

He never convinces his patients that medications are safe. The truth is that almost every drug tested has its side effects.

“If a doctor prescribes something that does not carry any risk at all, then most likely he is not treating, but pretending. What do we do every time? There are some virtual scales in the doctor’s head, and the disease is placed on one side of the scale, and treatment and examination are placed on the other. If the disease outweighs, we examine and treat. And there are many cases when we say “sorry, dear,” says Alexander Palman.

In the case of tuberculosis, the scale shows that this infection is not at all rare. Last year alone, almost four thousand sick children were identified. Tuberculosis in minors is more common than, for example, oncology. And children from wealthy families are also infected.

“Two years ago, we were faced with the fact that the mother did not vaccinate her child with BCG and did not perform the Mantoux test. She was sure that her child would never develop tuberculosis. But, unfortunately, the child fell ill with a very severe form of tuberculosis: generalized tuberculosis with brain damage. And the disability of this child lies on the conscience of the mother, who was confident that she understood medicine better than anyone else. And these sad cases exist throughout Russia,” notes Elena Lukashova, chief pediatric phthisiatrist of the Kemerovo region, deputy chief physician for childhood of the Kemerovo Regional Clinical Tuberculosis Dispensary.

Parents, even those who agree to do Mantoux, often do not understand what a tuberculin test means.

“I think Mantoux needs to be done. Tuberculosis is thriving in our country. I need to protect my child from tuberculosis. And we put on Mantu every year,” said Yana Malashevich.

“It’s individual for everyone. Some want it, some don't. Some are against vaccinations, and some are not. But this does not mean that they cannot communicate with other children,” says Evgenia Mininkova.

The Mantoux test is not a vaccination at all, but an analysis. There is no way to protect against infection. Therefore, a child without a certificate or with a fake certificate (this can even happen) poses a threat to the entire team. Children's Ombudsman Anna Kuznetsova proposed legalizing other options for testing for tuberculosis so that parents have a choice and are more willing to agree to screening. The Ministry of Health has already approved two new tests.

“It is impossible to refuse diagnostics for tuberculosis. This is precisely what conditions are created for. In addition to the Mantoux test, the results of other tests for tuberculosis are now accepted,” said Anna Kuznetsova.

The Mantoux reaction is a study that actually takes place in the body of the child himself. Diaskintest is a similar method, only the composition of the drug is different. And the third method, approved by the Ministry of Health, is T-spot. It involves taking blood and testing it in a laboratory. Its disadvantage is that the child will have to take blood from a vein and pay at his own expense, but T-spot costs about six thousand rubles. Additional options are not included in the compulsory medical insurance system.

“We can go to work by taxi, we can take a personal car, we can take a bus, but we all understand that we cannot all go by taxi at the same time. And there is a basic level - public transport. We also have a basic level of diagnostics - the Mantoux reaction. A good, old, good method,” says Sergei Skornyakov, director of the Ural Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology of the Russian Ministry of Health.

Doctors warn that new diagnostic methods cannot be considered completely harmless either. After all, why have complaints accumulated against Mantu? The method has been used since the middle of the last century, and these are hundreds of millions of children. While new tests for tuberculosis have not yet stood the test of time.

During the year, you could give consent to have your child tested for tuberculin, or you could write a refusal. Of course, you were threatened not to let your child go to school if you refused, but usually it doesn’t come to that. For the conflict of laws is always resolved in favor of the fundamental law, that is, the Constitution. If it is not resolved, then truth-loving parents involve the prosecutor's office in the case, and recently also the children's ombudsman... In general, cases where a child was not allowed to go to school without a manta test and the school did not do anything for it are still unknown to science. It's a matter of children's summer camps. They are not obliged to provide the child with universal secondary education within the framework of the Constitution, but they are obliged to honor SanPIN.

That is why in mid-May, queues “for help” inevitably and invariably grow outside phthisiatricians’ offices and in tuberculosis dispensaries. The choice remains small: either agree to Manta or abandon the camp. Or are there options? Let's figure it out.

Conflict of laws

What do nurses and school principals refer to when they don’t want to allow a child who refuses to attend classes?

They refer to SanPIN SP 3.1.2.3114−13 “Prevention of tuberculosis”, article 5.7, paragraph 2.

Children who have not undergone tuberculin diagnostics are admitted to the children's organization if they have a phthisiatrician's conclusion that they do not have the disease.

Parents typically counter by citing:

• Art. 20 Federal Law-323 “On the protection of the health of citizens in the Russian Federation”, prohibiting ANY medical intervention (including screening) without the informed voluntary consent of parents;
• Art. 5 of Federal Law No. 273-FZ of December 29, 2012 “On Education in the Russian Federation,” which guarantees ALL citizens the receipt of free education up to secondary vocational education.
• Art. 43 clause 4 of the Constitution, which not only guarantees universal secondary education, but also declares it compulsory (unlike Mantoux, which, according to Federal Law-323, is voluntary).

But, firstly, as has already been said, all these three strong trump cards only work against schools and are completely powerless against children’s camps, which are also voluntary. Even more voluntary than tuberculin diagnostics.

And secondly, not all parents and not all school directors know yet, but the information is already being brought to attention: in 2015, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation considered a case challenging the paragraph of the second paragraph 5.7 of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Rules SP 3.1.2.3114-13 “Prevention of Tuberculosis " and left it in force.

The Supreme Court ruled (No. AKPI14-1454 dated February 17, 2015) that requiring a certificate from a TB doctor is completely legal. Because:

• SanPIN does not violate the rights of citizens to voluntary informed consent. If you don't want to be examined, you can refuse. And when you contact a phthisiatrician, you can get information about all available diagnostic methods, in addition to the Mantoux tuberculin test. Nobody insists on Mantu. They insist on a phthisiatrician's appointment upon admission to the children's team.
• In addition to Art. 5, in the Law on Education there is also Art. 28 clause 2:

An educational organization is obliged to create safe conditions for the training, education of students, and their maintenance in accordance with established standards that ensure the life and health of students.

And safety means that there is no one for children to get infected from at school. Moreover, SanPINs are precisely those “established standards” that must be met. And there is also in the Law on Education Art. 41 with paragraphs 6 and 10 - about preventive examinations, medical examinations and the implementation of anti-epidemic and preventive measures in schools. Fulfillment of these points is impossible without compliance with the requirements of SanPIN.

• Art. 43 paragraph 4 of the Constitution does not simply declare universal secondary education compulsory. She also places responsibility for him on the parents:

Basic general education is compulsory. Parents or persons replacing them ensure that their children receive basic general education.

The circle is closed: in order to provide basic general education, parents must only bring a phthisiatrician’s conclusion that the child is healthy and not dangerous to others, and not make a Mantoux.

After the intervention of Children's Ombudsman Anna Kuznetsova, the Ministry of Health approved two more tests as a sufficient argument confirming the “safety” of a child: Diaskintest and T-spot. Moreover, Diaskin can be obtained through compulsory medical insurance - in Moscow and St. Petersburg even in schools and kindergartens, in the regions, mostly still only in tuberculosis dispensaries. T-spot is a blood test. They don't make it for free. In network laboratories it costs around six thousand rubles... But you probably paid five to ten times more for the camp?

So, we have Mantoux, Diaskintest and T-spot at our disposal.

How Mantoux works

The composition of tuberculin includes waste products of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and elements of microbial cells. There are no whole bacteria there - neither living nor dead. Therefore, rumors about possible infection during tuberculin diagnostics are somewhat exaggerated. The main problem is different: every third tuberculin test result is false positive. That is, there is no tuberculosis, but there is a skin reaction. And this is not only itching for the child and a nervous breakdown for the mother, this is most likely chemoprophylaxis - meaningless and merciless.

There are two types of immune cells in the human body: some recognize any “stranger” in general, and others react only to specific markers (in our case, these are markers of tuberculosis). Moreover, immune cells can recognize them only if they have already “seen” them before (there was a BCG vaccination or infection).

That’s why in the first two days everyone experiences redness at the site of tuberculin injection: this is when the first echelon of immune cells went into battle. On the third day, the reaction should either die down if the “second echelon” fighters (those who “recognize” Koch’s sticks by sight) have not found work for themselves, or flare up with redoubled force - if they have. That is, the ideal option is obvious: there is tuberculosis - the “button” becomes inflamed (positive or hyperergic reaction); there is no tuberculosis - the “button” disappears (negative reaction).

In fact, there is no ideal, but we have a positive reaction:

• because the child was vaccinated with BCG, and the immune cells turned out to have a long memory;
• the child has a strong immune system - and the first echelon cells have not stopped fighting;
• the child is infected, but not sick, or has been ill and recovered;
• The child is allergic to tuberculin.

How does Diaskintest work?

The procedure itself looks the same as the Mantoux test: the drug is administered intradermally. But these are not fragments of bacteria, but synthetic analogues of markers that only tuberculosis bacteria have. Only cells that recognize specific markers of tuberculosis bacteria will react to it, and only if bacteria with such a marker are already in the body in active form. That is, a false positive result is practically excluded. Diaskintest is recommended by the Ministry of Health and is supplied to schools along with tuberculin (at least in Moscow), so if a child brings a voluntary medical consent form from school, you can write: “I refuse the Mantoux tuberculin test, I agree to Diaskintest.”

The problem is that for some reason TB doctors often insist that the child be given both Mantoux and Diaskin. This is justified until the age of seven, when the issue of revaccination is being decided: if the Mantoux is positive, it means that the child has been infected - he cannot be revaccinated with BCG at the age of seven. However, if the reaction to Diaskintest is negative, it means that the disease does not develop, the body has dealt with it on its own (it’s not for nothing that they received a BCG vaccine in the maternity hospital) - and the child does not need preventive treatment. But if Mantoux has always been positive, the child has already been given an exemption from revaccination before school, then it is completely pointless to continue torturing him with tuberculin. Diaskintest will show whether Koch's bacilli have begun to show activity.

How T-spot works

This is a blood test that counts T-lymphocytes that react to antigens of mycobacterium tuberculosis. The specificity of the test is approximately the same as that of Diaskintest: it does not give false positive reactions, it is preferred by mothers who, in principle, are against introducing anything into a healthy child’s body. Blood is taken from a vein. Take the test on an empty stomach. The standard period for obtaining results, like skin tests, is three days. But the state has not yet decided to bear the cost of a blood test - so it is possible, but at its own expense.

Is it possible to make mantu for a runny nose and cough?

Many parents do not know the answer to this question, but doctors insist that preventive vaccination is necessary.

But are they right in this case?

How will the test affect the child’s general condition? Will a runny nose and cough affect the result?

Parents should know that the mantoux reaction is not a vaccination at all, but an immunological test that is aimed at identifying tuberculosis bacteria.

In this article we will answer the question of whether it is possible to use mantu for a runny nose. You can find out the opinions of doctors and parents. It is worth noting how to correctly evaluate manta rays for diseases, and whether errors can occur.

Is it possible to make mantu for a cold: what is manta?

Each baby who received the BCG vaccine for the first time in his life is subsequently given a mantu. However, any mother can refuse vaccination, so before administering it, medical workers are required to ask permission from legal representatives.

After the BCG vaccine is administered, a reaction test is carried out for several days in a row. So the baby is injected with a substance called tuberculin, the injection site is just below the elbow on the outside. A few days later, the doctor evaluates the result. This diagnosis is carried out for all children under 17 years of age. After this, other methods are used - fluorography.

But is it possible to make mantu for a runny nose and cough, many parents are interested in? It often happens that you come for a routine preventive visit, and the pediatrician says that you need to put on a manti. At the same time, the doctor does not pay any attention to what you tell about your child’s recent illness. But what is it? Is it all about the irresponsibility of doctors? You should not draw conclusions on your own; before answering the question, you need to delve a little deeper into the essence of the procedure.

If we summarize the general ideas about vaccination, we can draw the following conclusion, from which it will become clear why it is still needed:

1. The main goal of vaccination is to detect infection at an early stage of development.

2. If parents believe that their child does not need such a vaccination, they have the right to write a refusal.

3. If there is a quarantine in a kindergarten or school, and the child’s body is very weakened, it is better to postpone vaccination for a while.

4. It is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis (tuberculosis) using the mantoux test alone. Additional studies need to be conducted to confirm the diagnosis.

5. You can diagnose tuberculosis infection using a blood test, which is called ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).

6. The reaction of the vaccine depends on how you took care of it. After the doctor gives the vaccine, he will give certain recommendations that you should follow. If something is missed, the result may be positive.

Is it possible to make mantu for a cold: is the vaccination dangerous?

Is it possible to make mantu for a runny nose and cough? Many pediatricians answer the question positively. Everything can be explained simply and clearly.

The Mantoux reaction is not just another vaccination for a child. At the time of the procedure, the doctor does not “deliver” the vaccine into the baby’s body. Reagents are introduced into the body using an injection. Tuberculin does not interact with the immune system and does not cause even a mild form of the disease, like many other vaccines. Thanks to the substance, it is possible to detect antibodies that are produced after vaccination with BCG. Under the influence of tuberculin, a certain reaction occurs in the body, which can be recorded by doctors after a few days.

Doctors insist that a runny nose and cough is not a reason to refuse vaccination. Manipulation can be carried out even with many viral and colds, in which the throat turns red and the body temperature rises.

But will the opinion change if we look at this issue from a slightly different angle? What is a runny nose? This is the result of a viral attack, which is accompanied by various bacterial infections. The reason may lie in other respiratory viruses.

Once a child has a runny nose, their immune system becomes tense. It is important to remember that tuberculin, one way or another, interacts with the immune system. The vaccine, as it were, “checks” whether the immune system is strong in relation to tuberculosis bacteria, which are not at all similar to those that caused the runny nose. But any disturbance to the child's immune system can negatively affect the vaccine's response.

• IMPORTANT!! A runny nose is the main symptom of a respiratory disease. If parents are wondering whether it is possible to do mantu for a runny nose and cough, then they need to remember that when a test is performed for rhinitis, a change in skin reactions will occur.

If we take into account the fact that mantoux cannot give a 100% accurate result, the emergence of additional provoking factors will further confuse doctors in deciphering the result.

Is it possible to make mantu for a cold: runny nose after mantu

Many children who have recently been given mantu have a slight runny nose. Parents associate this condition with a reaction to the administered tuberculin. But in fact, there is no relationship between mantu and a runny nose. Tuberculin contains only neutralized or killed fragments of tuberculous mycobacteria. There is absolutely nothing in them that could affect the occurrence of a runny nose.

Most likely, the runny nose that has arisen is just a coincidence and is associated with a virus that could have been acquired in any public place. Therefore, parents have no reason to worry.

But if suddenly your body temperature rises along with a runny nose, then it is better to call an ambulance to avoid undesirable consequences.

Is it possible to make mantu for a cold: contraindications

For several years in a row, doctors have not been able to come to a consensus about mantoux. Some believe that any vaccinations can only be given if the child is completely healthy. Others, on the contrary, argue that mantu is just a test that will not affect the child’s body in any way. Accordingly, there are no barriers to getting vaccinated, nor a cough or a runny nose, which are not contraindications at all.

But in fact, both are right. Tuberculin is absolutely not dangerous to health, this fact has been proven from a scientific point of view.

In other words, if you put mantu with a small cold, nothing bad will happen. But on the other hand, under the influence of viruses and infections, the result may not be entirely accurate. Many children may experience severe inflammation at the injection site. For every parent, this is a big cause for concern and stress.

But another problem lies in the fact that the resulting reaction cannot always be correctly assessed by doctors. Many people measure the entire area of ​​redness at once, even where there is swelling. But in fact, only the size of the papule is assessed - the compaction that is located near the needle mark.

Therefore, even in completely healthy children, the results may be implausible. From this we can conclude that parents can quite justifiably refuse vaccination.

The final reaction of the vaccine should only be assessed by a specialist who understands this issue.

If the baby has a cough or runny nose, then only the parents can decide whether they need this vaccination or whether it is better to refuse it.

Parents' fears

All parents are afraid that after mantu is placed, serious complications will arise. In most cases, this is all far-fetched and unjustified.

• Important! A small dose of tuberculin is administered at a time, which does not have any consequences for the body.

It is best to refuse the test, but not at all because side effects may occur, but because the information content of such vaccinations is in question.

Many parents complain that their children are vaccinated in kindergartens and schools, and parents are not warned about this. It is worth saying that the actions of medical workers in this case are illegal.

Conclusion

Thus, we can conclude that you should not make mantu for a runny nose or cough if there is no suspicion of tuberculosis. But even if you decide to do it, nothing bad will happen to your child.