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2022-09-20 13:32:20

Quantiferon TB Gold Testing

By: Ashlee Arnold
Find a Testing Center
Quantiferon TB Gold Testing

Tuberculosis (TB), an airborne illness caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis, affects approximately 10 million people every year. The bacteria is transmitted when a person with TB coughs, sneezes, or spits, causing infected water droplets to enter the air. When these germ-carrying water droplets are inhaled by another person, they may also contract tuberculosis. 

TB is a preventable and curable disease, yet it’s the cause of death of about 1.5 million people annually. It’s estimated that a quarter of the global population is infected with TB, but only 5% to 15% become ill with active tuberculosis. Persons with inactive tuberculosis are not symptomatic and cannot infect others. 

While TB isn’t very common in the US, it’s more prevalent in other countries. Thus, if you have any international traveling planned, you should talk to a travel medicine specialist to see if you’re at a higher risk of being exposed.

Symptoms and Treatment of Tuberculosis

How can you recognize and address tuberculosis?

Symptoms

TB is commonly characterized by the following symptoms:

  • Recurring incessant coughing
  • Chest pains
  • Fatigue or physical weakness
  • Night sweats
  • Fever
  • Unexplained weight loss

These symptoms are typically mild, which causes many to delay seeking medical care. This, however, increases the likelihood of infected individuals spreading the bacteria to others. In the case of a TB infection, the bacteria lies inactive in the person’s body. But it can weaken the immune system, which may cause the infection to turn into TB disease.

A man coughing

Treatment

Tuberculosis disease is typically treated with antibiotics administered over several months. Tuberculosis infection involves undergoing preventative treatment, usually with similar antibiotics for a shorter period, to avoid developing into the disease.

Quantiferon TB Gold Testing

In order to identify or confirm a tuberculosis diagnosis, a healthcare provider normally requires a patient to take a TB test. TB blood testing is preferred for people who received the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) tuberculosis vaccine, and patients who cannot return for multiple appointments to look for reactions to TST. 

The QuantiFERON TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) blood test is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) as a method to detect inactive and active tuberculosis. It’s the improved version of the industry-leading TB detection test, QuantiFERON TB Gold. QFT-Plus uses the same principles, testing process, and technology, but is optimized with TB-specific antigens to produce a more accurate evaluation of the immune system’s response to TB infection. 

The benefits of QuantiFERON TB Gold Plus include:

  • It requires only one patient visit, so it’s generally equivalent to a TB skin test, which requires more than one visit.
  • Speedy results, which are available within three to five business days.
  • It’s unaffected by a previously administered BCG vaccination.
  • It does not increase reactions measured by multiple tests, which can happen with TB skin tests.

QuantiFERON TB Gold Plus blood testing can be used in similar situations that call for a TB skin test, such as:

  • Screening after exposure to a person with a TB infection.
  • Evaluation of new immigrants who have received the BCG vaccine.
  • Screening of high-risk groups, such as healthcare workers and prison workers, for tuberculosis.
Test tubes with blood samples

Easy and Reliable QuantiFERON TB Gold Testing with eNational Testing

eNational Testing offers testing for QuantiFERON TB Gold at 4,000 locations across the country, with a simple three-step process:

  • Order your QuantiFERON TB Gold test: Order the test online from the eNational Testing website. Choose the lab location nearest you or wherever you prefer. After payment for the test has been received, your lab requisition will be sent to you via email in under 24 hours.
  • Go to the eNational Testing lab for collection: Once you have your lab requisition, you can proceed to your selected lab location to provide your blood sample. You can opt to schedule an appointment, but walk-ins are welcome!
  • Receive your QuantiFERON results via email: Most of eNational Testing’s laboratory results are released within two to three business days. It will be sent to you via your registered email. For positive results, a healthcare provider may contact you over the phone. eNational Testing also offers treatment consultations with a qualified medical provider, if you need it.

If you receive a positive test result, you are recommended to undergo a chest x-ray and a follow-up appointment with a primary care doctor to help you evaluate the results. For questions and concerns about the QuantiFERON TB Gold test, you can reach eNational Testing’s Patient Services via phone (888-362-4321) or email (patientservices@pwnhealth.com) from Mondays to Fridays, between 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM EST.

With eNational Testing, you can skip the queue at the doctor’s office. We also offer various types of blood titers, or blood-drawn tests, such as measles, rubella (also known as German measles), mumps, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, varicella (also known as chickenpox), and rabies titers.

TB is preventable and usually treatable. All you have to do is take action. Order an eNational Testing QuantiFERON TB Gold test or contact us for more information. We make healthcare more accessible and affordable.

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