Sputum Test

[babystef 8]

keep on praying..and be positive....i feel you...and still i have that crazy feeling .today is exactly my one month from my smear test... i still have one more month..but praying helps me a lot...

thanks..im just on what i read here that she knows somebody who turns out positive in the smear test and will undergo meds for 6 months nand she doesn't have any symptoms that she has ba TB,,

[paul_kay 31]

thanks..im just on what i read here that she knows somebody who turns out positive in the smear test and will undergo meds for 6 months nand she doesn't have any symptoms that she has ba TB,,

That's what we call Latent Tb Infection. Don't worry. Seems like it's common for St. Luke's applicants to be subjected to sputum tests but it's very seldom that they would also do the treatment. I shouldn't have told you about it so as not to worsen your worries

I'll share more of what we talked about (the girl diagnosed with Tb w/o signs of it)

She had her Medical Exam early this year and on the second day almost everyone (like 500 of them she said) were stamped with SPUTUM. And the funny part is, that's the time when the Embassy was having their renovation and moving to a different building. So they thought it was just a delaying tactic.

[babystef 8]

That's what we call Latent Tb Infection. Don't worry. Seems like it's common for St. Luke's applicants to be subjected to sputum tests but it's very seldom that they would also do the treatment. I shouldn't have told you about it so as not to worsen your worries

I'll share more of what we talked about (the girl diagnosed with Tb w/o signs of it)

She had her Medical Exam early this year and on the second day almost everyone (like 500 of them she said) were stamped with SPUTUM. And the funny part is, that's the time when the Embassy was having their renovation and moving to a different building. So they thought it was just a delaying tactic.

no worries its ok..everybody can be in her situation, but i believe that i am fine coz i do jog everyday for almost 5 months now, im just afraid that the waiting will be prolong..thanks for ur info..it helps a lot and made me nervous.hahaha just joking :lol:

[grumpymcdorky18 7]

I hope everything results will turn out good for all of us here....I'm also quite nervous my sputum will start on tuesday and I'm still having colds coz of the bad weather.....do you it'll make the test worst as I don't have any idea what is it all about. I'm a lil bit worried but what can I do I don't wanna frustrate and stress myself thinking about it......I just hate it coz I have work and it's gonna mess up my schedule not sure if I can even make it to work in time like around 9.

Six months treatment sounds very much scary and quite a waste of money as we all just want to be with our loved ones very soon in the cheapest way coz this whole visa process is very much expensive....but on the bright side I think it'll be more expensive if we'll be sick once we get to the US since we don't have insurance yet. But of course I'm still praying that nobody here will undergo that treatment.....let's all try to have a positive outlook for good outcome of our results

[paul_kay 31]

I hope everything results will turn out good for all of us here....I'm also quite nervous my sputum will start on tuesday and I'm still having colds coz of the bad weather.....do you it'll make the test worst as I don't have any idea what is it all about. I'm a lil bit worried but what can I do I don't wanna frustrate and stress myself thinking about it......I just hate it coz I have work and it's gonna mess up my schedule not sure if I can even make it to work in time like around 9.

Your colds won't make the matter worse because it's the TB bacteria they will be looking for. You may have so much phlegm, if they don't find TB under the microscope, you're negative!

[Tahoma 2,291]

if you get positive smear test ,medication kaagad sis..for 6 months...

today is my last day of sputum test, i will be backm on aug 1 for the result..the depressing part is when it turned out positive, you will undergo a 6 months medication but you will you personally to St/ Lukes to drink your meds, thats what i heard from the lady while waiting for our turn..i donbt know if its true...i hope its not..

Yes it's true. I know someone who didn't show any signs or symptoms of having Tb but on her 3rd day of sputum test, she turned out to be positive and is now undergoing her 6 months treatment (should be at St Luke's) together with her son (who is getting medicated just because his mom is being treated). I know it's a bummer she had to go there everyday every morning to take her meds. I hope she's fine now. To make the matter worse, she lives in Mindanao. Just be positive, we will all be with our loved ones one way or another.

thanks..im just on what i read here that she knows somebody who turns out positive in the smear test and will undergo meds for 6 months nand she doesn't have any symptoms that she has ba TB,,

Hi everyone...

I hope someone can clear up my confusion about St. Luke's protocol for TB testing and medication.

I thought St. Lukes required TB medication only after the results of the two-month culture came back positive. However, you are saying that St. Lukes can require TB medication when the smear test is positive.

It's my understanding that St. Lukes performs three smear tests. Does St. Lukes require the six months of medication if only one or two of the smear tests are positive? Or, do all three of the smear tests have to be positive before they order medication?

On a side note, I was reading the TB statistics that St. Lukes reports to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It appears that only a very small number of cases at St. Lukes result in a positive finding for TB.

Good luck to everyone. Hang in there. The medical is the difficult part. The interview is easy by comparison.

[paul_kay 31]

From my understanding it's like this:

Chest Xray - they find a scar in your lungs, SPUTUM

Physical Exam - you mention you had contact with a TB patient in your past, has a family member who has/had TB, has signs and symptoms of TB, you will be subjected to SPUTUM test (guess ko lang 'tong sa Physical ha)

You will do the Acid Fast Smear test in 3 consecutive days . Even if one out of three of these smears turns out to be Positive. You will undergo 6 months treatment.

Parang ganito. The Smear test is to find out if the TB is Active or just sleeping. Let's say in your first and second day negative then on your 3rd day Positive that means you have TB and it is active.

If all the 3 samples are negative. They still need to culture them for 2 months to find out if the "sleeping" TB will be awaken/ active. After 2 months, if nothing grows in the culture, then it means the lung scar is just a scar and isn't contagious and the Tb is inactive.

Coz sometimes even if the smears are negative something still grows in the culture. Voila! May TB pala.

But don't worry ladies. I believe many Filipinos have inactive TB because of where we live. Check out our arms na lang. Notice the scar there from the TB vaccine when we were young.

[grumpymcdorky18 7]

Your colds won't make the matter worse because it's the TB bacteria they will be looking for. You may have so much phlegm, if they don't find TB under the microscope, you're negative!

whew, thanks so much.....coz I don't think my colds will go away anytime soon. My sputum will start on Tuesday and it's a lil bit scary......any advise before I undergo the sputum test probably aside from not eating before going there?

[paul_kay 31]

whew, thanks so much.....coz I don't think my colds will go away anytime soon. My sputum will start on Tuesday and it's a lil bit scary......any advise before I undergo the sputum test probably aside from not eating before going there?

Rest well. Relax. Drink plenty of water to make your colds go away

[PhilAmTx 14]

no more food intake,brush teeth and tongue ,drink a lot of water... be positive and don't forget to PRAY... i works...

[grumpymcdorky18 7]

Rest well. Relax. Drink plenty of water to make your colds go away

no more food intake,brush teeth and tongue ,drink a lot of water... be positive and don't forget to PRAY... i works...

thank you for your advise and support I'll surely do all the things you said.....prayer really helps a lot that's for sure I hope God will guide us all in overcoming this hindrance

[babystef 8]

hello guys, i just came home from SLEC, and im glad that mu sputum test was negative..im very happy and thankful to God. all i have to do is wait for 2 months to know the culture result. 2 more steps and this nerve wracking experience will soon end,, :)

[grumpymcdorky18 7]

hello guys, i just came home from SLEC, and im glad that mu sputum test was negative..im very happy and thankful to God. all i have to do is wait for 2 months to know the culture result. 2 more steps and this nerve wracking experience will soon end,, :)

wow, congrats!!!!!!!!! let's pray that your culture will also be negative....mine will start tomorrow, I'm a lil bit nervous tho...what time did you go there and how long did it take? (sorry for asking, I'm trying to manage my time if I can still go to work afterwards ) after the 3 days smear test I've read that you still need to go back there to talk to the doctor or something, not sure

[babystef 8]

wow, congrats!!!!!!!!! let's pray that your culture will also be negative....mine will start tomorrow, I'm a lil bit nervous tho...what time did you go there and how long did it take? (sorry for asking, I'm trying to manage my time if I can still go to work afterwards ) after the 3 days smear test I've read that you still need to go back there to talk to the doctor or something, not sure

you should be there at least 6am coz you will be given a number and wait for your number to be called. when yoiu show your slip and paspsport to the guard on the ground flr, you will get ur number. sometimes it will took 3 hours depending on what number you have. yes u will bo back after 3 days to know the result of the smear test. they will give you instructions on your 3rd day. goodluck to you

[PhilAmTx 14]

you should be there at least 6am coz you will be given a number and wait for your number to be called. when yoiu show your slip and paspsport to the guard on the ground flr, you will get ur number. sometimes it will took 3 hours depending on what number you have. yes u will bo back after 3 days to know the result of the smear test. they will give you instructions on your 3rd day. goodluck to you

good luck to all of us... this week is my 5th week ..prayer helps a lot..!