X-ray and sputum test before medical

[jc1 0]

My fiancee will be doing her medical and interview in January. However, she is having some medical issues and the doctor suggested she get an X-ray and sputum test. Will this cause any problems for her when she goes to the medical in January? Does she even need to disclose it?

Edited December 1, 2014 by jc1

[Hank_ 9,174]

SLEC does suggest to bring medical records or x-rays if you have them. This info is listed on the SLEC website.

[luckytwo15 13]

My fiancee will be doing her medical and interview in January. However, she is having some medical issues and the doctor suggested she get an X-ray and sputum test. Will this cause any problems for her when she goes to the medical in January? Does she even need to disclose it?

If her doctor is suggesting that she needs the x-ray and sputum test because the doctor suspects active TB then I wouldn't delay her completing that now.

If that x-ray shows lung scarring then almost without a doubt the SLEC x-ray will show the scarring as well. Also, depending on the current doctor's x-ray equipment scarring might not be detected, but scarring could then be detected in January at SLEC. The SLEC x-ray will trump any previous x-rays if they find a scar. Then the patients typically return the following week to give 3 smear and sputum samples over a 3 day period because the samples have to be taken 24 hours apart. Positive smears at that point start DOT immediately, which is uncommon. Most smears are negative. More common is that the patient is given a date very close to 60 days in the future that they will call back to SLEC and then report back to SLEC and most likely find out that their sputum cultures are negative. Any calls from SLEC to the patient within the 60 days will most likely be because the sputum has turned positive, meaning active TB.

The first month or so of TB tablets at SLEC are very aggressive and within a month or so the positive active TB typically changes to negative latent TB. This is evidenced by the further sputum cultures that are performed throughout the DOT process.

My fiancée was asked if she had TB or if there was a family history of TB during her initial medical exam. I would think everyone is asked that question. She answered No. Then her SLEC x-ray showed scarring even though previous work x-rays did not. Sputum shortly confirmed active TB within 3 weeks, so the DOT process commenced.

Please don't quote me on this, but I have heard that TB treatment is a 1 year to 18 month process if done outside SLEC, but only about 8 to 9 months if TB treatment is done within SLEC.

You'll only really know which path is going to happen for you when SLEC does the x-ray. No scarring on x-ray, then no sputum and medical is a wrap and it's on to the next steps.

[hotmom17 3]

Tb treatment outside slec is 6 mos only. The treatment in slec is also 6 mos but the sputum culture after the treatment is another 2 mos.