How to avoid the Sputum Test nightmare

[SuperDuper! 230]

So I am reading sad stories of couples having to wait 2 months or more extra due to Sputum Test requirement at St Lukes.

My question is, why not have Pinay go in for a private sputum test on her own, maybe 3 months ahead of her St Lukes medical, and see if she tests negative or positive. If the latter, she could take the meds and get cleared up ahead of the St Lukes.

Does anyone think this is a good idea? I don't know how much a Sputum test would be from a private clinic.

Just an idea to avoid disappointing visa issuance delays.

[sasha414 0]

if only life was that simple st lukes will not honor nor accept results from other hospitals, not even their own st lukes main . only results from st lukes extension clinic will be honored by the us embassy. if the immigrant has an abnormality in the xray, she will be required to do the 3 day sputum tests, no matter what. i suggest she does the medical exam as early as she can.

[mRs StOcKwElL 1]

if only life was that simple st lukes will not honor nor accept results from other hospitals, not even their own st lukes main . only results from st lukes extension clinic will be honored by the us embassy.

[AmyStan 0]

if only life was that simple st lukes will not honor nor accept results from other hospitals, not even their own st lukes main . only results from st lukes extension clinic will be honored by the us embassy. if the immigrant has an abnormality in the xray, she will be required to do the 3 day sputum tests, no matter what. i suggest she does the medical exam as early as she can.

We can confirm the above. We tried to do just what the OP states. Amy went to St Lukes Hospital (not clinic) to have her CXR reviewed by the pulmonologist there, along with previous CXRs. The pulmonologist took another one, of course, and did the review. She said she would consider the slight abnormality (which we were concerned about) as a scar. When asked if she could go ahead and do a sputum culture, she said there was no use in doing so because the extension clinic would not honor those results, and that we'd have to wait. She did recommend Amy take all previous CXRs with her to the medical.

Well, Amy went for her medical (taking the CXRs as recommended) after we finally received the NOA2 and guess what, she has to do the sputum tests. She goes on Weds, Thurs, and Fri of this week and we expect we're looking at the 8 week delay.

So I agree it sounds logicial that you could do that, but it doesn't work - at least in our case and other cases I have read.

Best of luck. Let us know if you have any questions on what all we did.

[SuperDuper! 230]

if only life was that simple st lukes will not honor nor accept results from other hospitals, not even their own st lukes main . only results from st lukes extension clinic will be honored by the us embassy. if the immigrant has an abnormality in the xray, she will be required to do the 3 day sputum tests, no matter what. i suggest she does the medical exam as early as she can.

I understand your response. However this is not what I was suggesting.

What I am saying is to get a sputum test 3 months or so ahead of the SLEC medical just to see if there is a problem in the lungs, and if so, Pinay can take meds and get cleared up prior to her SLEC medical.

Like taking a practice test, before the real test. Are sputum tests expensive at a private clinic in Phils?

Cheers.

[Tahoma 2,291]

if only life was that simple st lukes will not honor nor accept results from other hospitals, not even their own st lukes main . only results from st lukes extension clinic will be honored by the us embassy. if the immigrant has an abnormality in the xray, she will be required to do the 3 day sputum tests, no matter what. i suggest she does the medical exam as early as she can.

I understand your response. However this is not what I was suggesting.

What I am saying is to get a sputum test 3 months or so ahead of the SLEC medical just to see if there is a problem in the lungs, and if so, Pinay can take meds and get cleared up prior to her SLEC medical.

Like taking a practice test, before the real test. Are sputum tests expensive at a private clinic in Phils?

Cheers.

It is my understanding that if a two-month sputum culture turned up positive for TB, she then would be required to take TB medication for six months or more. Therefore, she would have to start the process at least eight months in advance of her Saint Luke's Extension Center (SLEC) medical. After that, the question becomes: would SLEC accept her completed treatment regimen?

I imagine they would accept it, but I will double check that with my wife when she wakes up from her nap.

~ Tahoma

[ccndyeth 0]

if only life was that simple st lukes will not honor nor accept results from other hospitals, not even their own st lukes main . only results from st lukes extension clinic will be honored by the us embassy. if the immigrant has an abnormality in the xray, she will be required to do the 3 day sputum tests, no matter what. i suggest she does the medical exam as early as she can.

I understand your response. However this is not what I was suggesting.

What I am saying is to get a sputum test 3 months or so ahead of the SLEC medical just to see if there is a problem in the lungs, and if so, Pinay can take meds and get cleared up prior to her SLEC medical.

Like taking a practice test, before the real test. Are sputum tests expensive at a private clinic in Phils?

Cheers.

I don't think that is possible. the medication takes 6 mos to clear up.. if it clears up.. sometime the bacteria leaves a scar and if so SLEC will still has to do a sputum culture test. Even if you declare that you undergo a medication SLEC will not it, they would need to do their own sputum culture test.

[sasha414 0]

if only life was that simple st lukes will not honor nor accept results from other hospitals, not even their own st lukes main . only results from st lukes extension clinic will be honored by the us embassy. if the immigrant has an abnormality in the xray, she will be required to do the 3 day sputum tests, no matter what. i suggest she does the medical exam as early as she can.

I understand your response. However this is not what I was suggesting.

What I am saying is to get a sputum test 3 months or so ahead of the SLEC medical just to see if there is a problem in the lungs, and if so, Pinay can take meds and get cleared up prior to her SLEC medical.

Like taking a practice test, before the real test. Are sputum tests expensive at a private clinic in Phils?

Cheers.

actually, it will be the XRAY they will first look at to see if there are spots or scars . then if there is, st lukes will let her do the sputum tests. then wait 2 months. another thing, st lukes will not only rely on sputum results, they will wait for culture results which is the gold standard for determing active tb.

in my city, sputum tests are not expensive, if i remember it right, one sputum test cost about 100 pesos. it is the culture test that is expensive. if you want, you can have an xray done in a private hospital to see if theres an abnormality, although st lukes will not honor it but at least you'll be prepared when st lukes orders her to do the sputum tests. however, my friend did this, her xray was clear in cebu but at st lukes, she still showed a small scar in her lung. st lukes said their xray equipment is very hi tech thats why.

[Tahoma 2,291]

if only life was that simple st lukes will not honor nor accept results from other hospitals, not even their own st lukes main . only results from st lukes extension clinic will be honored by the us embassy. if the immigrant has an abnormality in the xray, she will be required to do the 3 day sputum tests, no matter what. i suggest she does the medical exam as early as she can.

I understand your response. However this is not what I was suggesting.

What I am saying is to get a sputum test 3 months or so ahead of the SLEC medical just to see if there is a problem in the lungs, and if so, Pinay can take meds and get cleared up prior to her SLEC medical.

Like taking a practice test, before the real test. Are sputum tests expensive at a private clinic in Phils?

Cheers.

It is my understanding that if a two-month sputum culture turned up positive for TB, she then would be required to take TB medication for six months or more. Therefore, she would have to start the process at least eight months in advance of her Saint Luke's Extension Center (SLEC) medical. After that, the question becomes: would SLEC accept her completed treatment regimen?

I imagine they would accept it, but I will double check that with my wife when she wakes up from her nap.

~ Tahoma

No matter what, SLEC always will require x-rays. If SLEC sees any abnormalities on the x-ray, they will require a two-month sputum culture. However, my wife and I don't know whether or not SLEC would accept a previously-completed treatment regimen for TB. The treatment regimen for TB can require taking medication for six months or more.

[SuperDuper! 230]

Thanks you guys for all your insightful answers. There is no free lunch in this system. Gotta play by their rules.

[sasha414 0]

if only life was that simple st lukes will not honor nor accept results from other hospitals, not even their own st lukes main . only results from st lukes extension clinic will be honored by the us embassy. if the immigrant has an abnormality in the xray, she will be required to do the 3 day sputum tests, no matter what. i suggest she does the medical exam as early as she can.

I understand your response. However this is not what I was suggesting.

What I am saying is to get a sputum test 3 months or so ahead of the SLEC medical just to see if there is a problem in the lungs, and if so, Pinay can take meds and get cleared up prior to her SLEC medical.

Like taking a practice test, before the real test. Are sputum tests expensive at a private clinic in Phils?

Cheers.

It is my understanding that if a two-month sputum culture turned up positive for TB, she then would be required to take TB medication for six months or more. Therefore, she would have to start the process at least eight months in advance of her Saint Luke's Extension Center (SLEC) medical. After that, the question becomes: would SLEC accept her completed treatment regimen?

I imagine they would accept it, but I will double check that with my wife when she wakes up from her nap.

~ Tahoma

No matter what, SLEC always will require x-rays. If SLEC sees any abnormalities on the x-ray, they will require a two-month sputum culture. However, my wife and I don't know whether or not SLEC would accept a previously-completed treatment regimen for TB. The treatment regimen for TB can require taking medication for six months or more.

even if she has had previous treatment from another hospital, they will still require her to undergo sputum culture test. most likely though, she will have negative results since she underwent treatment already.

[Tahoma 2,291]

Yes Sasha, this is what we are thinking also.