A nurse is administering a tuberculosis (TB) skin test to a patient at high risk for TB. During patient education, the nurse should include which of the following facts about the tuberculosis skin test?
Explanation
•A positive skin test indicates a possible exposure to TB and should be followed up with sputum cultures for confirmation. It does not differentiate between dormant (latent) or active TB.
•The presence of hives does not indicate active TB.
•A chest x-ray is one of many tools used to help diagnose TB, but it is not definitive.