Is it possible to go to the pool immediately after the test?
Based on the research data obtained, doctors know that contact with water itself is not dangerous for vaccination, so going to the pool is allowed . There are no obvious disturbances in the operation of the drug or distortions in the final results. Harm comes from physical contact with the injection site of the test substance, which means you cannot rub, press or damage the Manta, since in this case the results will be erroneous in 85%.
Mantoux is a procedure for monitoring and testing the body for tuberculosis, which 90% of children under 18 undergo. While checking and waiting for results, there are several restrictions designed to reduce the likelihood of error:
- Contact with infections is undesirable.
- Do not damage (scratch or comb) the injection site.
- Do not wet the injection site.
The existing ban will help protect the injection site from damage, but parents should remember that it is not always correct.
What is Mantoux
Mantoux is a diagnostic test for the presence of tuberculosis infection. The test result is checked 72 hours after vaccination. In the light, using a transparent ruler, measure the size of the papule. Normally, it should not exceed 0.5 cm. Severe inflammation is a sign of infection, and entails a full examination at a tuberculosis clinic. The absence of a reaction to manta is also a deviation from the norm, as it shows that the child’s body does not produce antibodies to fight microbacteria that cause the disease. What often happens if the newborn has not been vaccinated with BCG.
When can you go to the pool?
It is necessary to actively protect the vaccination site on the first day after the procedure; on the second day, a small amount of water that gets on Mantoux is not dangerous. There is an exception - if the baby has sensitive skin, then special attention to the injection site is maintained in the first 3 days . It is important to remember: ordinary water (tap or pool water) is not a source of infections and bacteria. It is prohibited to swim in ponds, rivers and lakes, as disinfection cannot be carried out there.
There is no strict ban on wetting manta rays, but visiting the pool means contact with other people. Here you need to remember that they can be sources of infections and bacteria, which are not recommended to come into contact with for 3 days after the test . Injecting a drug to test for tuberculosis in a child, regardless of his age, makes his body too sensitive and vulnerable to any external influences, so one must try to avoid negative influences. For additional protection, it is recommended to refrain from visiting the pool and skip 1-2 classes.
It's better to play it safe and skip a couple of classes
Contraindications for Mantoux
In order to obtain reliable results from this tuberculin test, you must follow the rules for its administration, as well as care for the injection site, since failure to comply with them can lead to false results. It is also necessary to take into account contraindications before administering tuberculin, because they also have a negative effect on the final result.
First of all, you need to exclude contraindications, which include:
- presence of allergies - a patient suffering from allergies needs to take antihistamines 3 days before and after the introduction of tuberculin into the body;
- inflammatory and infectious diseases - the test is performed a month after complete recovery;
- some chronic diseases;
SENSATION!
Follow the link: What should be the size of the papule when testing mantu by year
- skin rashes;
- epilepsy;
- individual intolerance to tuberculin and the components that make up the drug;
- vaccination - Mantoux can be given before vaccinations or done a month after the scheduled vaccination;
- Vaccination after a tuberculin test can be done immediately after the results are taken;
- blood transfusion or the use of blood products for treatment - the test can be done at least 2 weeks later.
Compliance with these contraindications will allow you to obtain reliable results and avoid visiting a TB doctor due to a false positive reaction.
Conclusion
There is no need to cancel your visit to the pool if a test for tuberculosis has been carried out.
Parents need to take into account that water is not dangerous and will not affect the results of the test, but hypothermia of the body, which can occur after the session, negatively affects the results, since the likelihood of side effects increases significantly:
- temperature increase,
- the addition of a secondary infection as a result of a weakened immune system.
That is why, before going to the pool, it is better to make sure that the child is completely healthy and the vaccination did not cause any complications on the first day.
What is forbidden to do after vaccination
It is forbidden to apply a bandage or adhesive plaster to the injection site. Apply brilliant green, iodine, any other antiseptics, use ointment or baby cream.
It is not advisable for a child to become hypothermic; the immune system is now aimed at fighting tuberculosis bacteria. Overheating is also not recommended. The skin sweats, the pores expand, and this can lead to infection of the wound.
There is a group of children who are generally prohibited from making Mantoux. These are mainly epileptic attacks, chronic and heart diseases in epicrisis. For recent acute infections, you need to wait two weeks before vaccination.
Few people know that vaccination can make a healthy child feel unwell. It manifests itself as headache, weakness, loss of appetite and apathy. There may be slight redness of the skin and a rise in temperature to 37.7. If a child has a runny nose, cough or sore throat, this is a manifestation of colds not related to the injection.
Interesting information
The method had many disadvantages, in particular, for the penetration of tuberculin it was necessary to inflict small wounds, in other words, scratch the skin at the site of application of the drug. The contribution of Clemens Pirquet to the history of tuberculosis diagnosis cannot be underestimated. This outstanding allergist laid the foundation for Charles Mantoux's method, which made it possible, in principle, to detect in the early stages a disease then called consumption and which killed hundreds of thousands of people every year.
The method of applying tuberculin directly to the skin and into wounds made with a scarifier, of course, required minimizing external influences to avoid incorrect results and accidental infection. Contact of water directly on the area where the sample was carried out meant washing away a certain amount of the drug, which did not contribute to the necessary course of the reaction. The method of intradermal administration of tuberculin, developed by Mantoux, abolished many of the restrictions imposed when performing the Pirquet test. The method is a thing of the past, but the myth that you cannot wet the sample area for some time remains. In fact, you can wet Mantu, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Is it possible to walk after Mantoux in winter? How to do it right?
It is recommended to limit your walking time in winter. The child must be dressed according to the weather. In this case, soft tissue should be in contact with the injection site, which absorbs moisture well. Such materials include flannel. Parents need to ensure that the baby does not wet the injection site with snow.
In winter, it is recommended to walk in the forest or park. The walking location should be away from industrial facilities and busy roads. After the procedure, crowded places should be avoided. Otherwise, the risk of contracting an infection increases.
After a tuberculin test, the patient’s contact with peers should be limited. Therefore, it is not advisable to walk near playgrounds. If a child attends kindergarten, if his health worsens, he should be left at home.
Are walks allowed during the post-injection period?
Walking in nature
If a child has been given the Mantoux vaccine, can he then take walks in the fresh air? Of course, this is a controversial question and cannot be answered unequivocally. In any case, when bacteria are introduced into the body that can provoke the development of tuberculosis, a slight change in general well-being may occur. This means that care must be taken in the post-injection period to avoid progression of an existing chronic disease or the development of other infectious pathologies.
Due to the fact that after such a vaccination the body’s immune system is somewhat weakened, it becomes more susceptible to many infections that are transmitted by airborne droplets. It is for this reason that many parents believe that it is better to limit walking outside after leaving the hospital.
But the opinion of experts is somewhat different on this matter. Doctors do not advise giving up walking completely, because being in a confined space can cause more harm than fresh air. If the vaccination was carried out correctly and the administered medicine was of high quality, experts do not impose any special restrictions in the post-injection period.
In some cases, a headache may occur after administration of the vaccine, as well as general malaise or an increase in general temperature. Walking with your child in such cases is not recommended. When such unpleasant symptoms disappear (and this occurs the very next day), you can take walks in the fresh air.
Is it possible to wet the injection site?
Some doctors argue that Mantoux should not be wetted, as this will lead to a false positive result. However, such a ban is unfounded. The Mantoux test involves intradermal injection of tuberculin, so contact of water with the drug is possible only if the liquid gets inside the skin. This will require an injection. Only in this case an allergic reaction is possible.
But why do doctors universally prohibit getting the injection site wet? This is due to the history of tuberculosis diagnostic methods. In the early seventies, the body's reaction to Mycobacterium Bovis was monitored using skin tests: the Pirquet or Koch test. These methods consisted of placing a solution of a diagnostic drug on the skin, where fine incisions were subsequently made. The results of such a test could indeed change if a person had contact with water, which can wash the allergen from scratches.
Important! If a child accidentally wets his hand where the Mantoux test was performed, then you should not panic. Simply wipe the wet area with a napkin or let the water dry.
What happens if you wet the sample?
So, is it possible to wet Mantu? Brief contact of the tuberculin injection site with water is not capable of distorting the examination results. Therefore, the child can be bathed any day after the test is performed. However, it is better to limit contact between the injection site and water, which is likely to provoke an allergic reaction.
Why can't you wet Mantu? In rare cases, after water procedures, the papule can sharply increase in size. You must immediately notify your doctor about this. In this case, the tuberculin test will be uninformative, and the examination will have to be repeated.
How long can you not soak Mantu? Doctors say that you should not come into contact with the liquid immediately after injecting the drug. After all, water can penetrate the skin through an unhealed puncture. Therefore, it is recommended to exclude any contact with moisture within an hour after visiting the treatment room. This time is enough for the injection site to become clogged with clotted blood.