A child has a fever after Mantoux: normal or abnormal?

An increase in body temperature in babies after mantoux occurs often. There can be many reasons for this. Read more about this issue below.

To determine tuberculosis infection in children, the Mantoux test is used. It is given to children and adolescents up to the age of seventeen. The active ingredient of this drug is tuberculoprotein (allergen). It is this that helps detect patients who have an infection in their body or are vaccinated. Mantu is done intradermally. Thanks to the reaction to the injected allergen, local, initial forms of a serious disease - tuberculosis - are detected in the early stages.

Is it possible for a child or an adult to have a fever after Mantoux? Is it dangerous?

If the Mantoux injection is done properly in compliance with all the required standards, then adverse reactions of the patient’s body to its effects are extremely rarely observed. As a rule, there are no symptoms in the form of increased body temperature. Only in rare cases can such phenomena occur. This is due to individual intolerance to the components that make up Mantoux. And there are other reasons for complications.

Mantoux - temperature rises

Causes of fever in children:

• The baby's immune system is impaired. Unfortunately, nowadays children are often exposed to harmful factors on the body, which results in allergies.
• Frequently ignoring the daily routine, sleep, and poor nutrition leads to a decline in the vitality of the body.
• Diseases that do not go away for a long time due to the above factors also lead to an increase in temperature and other complications after the Mantoux test.
• Little physical activity and teeth growth in children negatively affect the health of children and worsen the effect of the vaccine in a negative way.
• The quality of the drug is low and when the Mantoux expiration date is on the verge of expiration, it causes an increase in temperature and other undesirable symptoms.

IMPORTANT : The Mantoux reaction causes allergies due to exposure to one component - phenol. Because he is the irritant.

Advice from Dr. Komarovsky

You can read a lot of stories in the media about how the Mantoux test led to severe side effects. Experts have different opinions on this matter.

Some argue that an increase in temperature in a child after a tuberculin test is a normal reaction of the body. Others note that this is a sign of sensitivity to the drug.

Most doctors advocate Mantoux, since it is an accessible and effective diagnostic method, and hyperthermia is a rare reaction to tuberculin.

To prevent an increase in temperature after the Mantoux test in a baby, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of specialists. Usually, before administering tuberculin, doctors inform parents about all possible reactions to the drug and give advice on preventing their development.

The famous doctor Komarovsky recommends:

• examine the child before performing a tuberculin test. Before the procedure, you need to measure your body temperature. The sample is allowed to be taken if the thermometer shows no more than 36.8 degrees;
• if the baby is unwell, the procedure is rescheduled;
• If an infectious or viral pathology is suspected, the test should be performed at another time. The test is allowed to be done a week after complete recovery;
• if the child is teething, it is better to postpone the test;
• in case of exacerbation of a chronic disease, Mantoux should be postponed until the pathology enters the remission stage;
• The injection site should not be wetted, touched or scratched for three days. Therefore, you need to closely monitor the baby all this time. Infants can bandage their hand with a bandage, but in such a way that the material does not squeeze the limb;
• if the baby has an individual intolerance to tuberculin, then Mantoux should be abandoned.

Many parents know that children who are prone to allergies should be given an antihistamine (for example, Fenistil, Zyrtec, Claritin, Zodak, Suprastin, Cetrin) the day before and for several days after vaccination. But Dr. Komarovsky notes that the Mantoux test is not a vaccination and it is not worth giving medicine to prevent an intolerance reaction before assessing the result.

After all, the essence of the test is to analyze the immune response to tuberculin. And an antihistamine may interfere with obtaining a reliable result. Such medications are used only when the child has a severe allergic reaction to tuberculin, which is accompanied by swelling, shortness of breath, and fever.

Can you get sick from the Mantoux vaccine?

Children most often fall ill from the drug with colds and allergies. When medical staff administer vaccinations, parents should always be attentive to their babies. Mantoux should not be given to children with recent illnesses. You risk getting sick again. And recovery will take a long time due to complications.

If you are allergic to the drug, it is better not to do Mantoux at all, but to use another vaccine - the Diaskintest test . It has a slightly different composition. Therefore, the drug has fewer irritants, and it acts more accurately.

Temperature after Mantoux

Is it possible to refuse Mantoux: what are the alternatives?

For many years, the Mantoux test has been one of the most effective and safe methods for determining tuberculosis, or more precisely, the degree of protection of the body from the causative agent of the disease. But in case of pathological reactions (severe allergies, individual intolerance), the test is prohibited.

At the same time, it is impossible to do without preventive examination. After all, tuberculosis is a serious disease, especially dangerous for children. Sometimes a person may not feel the presence of an illness in any way during the latent period, thereby harming not only himself, but also those around him.

A child who does not have confirmation of the absence of tuberculosis infection cannot be admitted to the team. Therefore, if there are contraindications to Mantoux, it is advisable to use alternative diagnostic methods.

Diaskintest

An expensive, but more accurate and safe method for determining the presence of immunity to tuberculosis pathogens. It is carried out in the same way as the usual Mantoux, and the main difference is in the composition of the drug. A recombinant allergen is made from grown strains of bacteria that are not present in the artificially administered vaccine.

The procedure does not require any preparation; allergies or intolerances to it are extremely rare. Perhaps the only thing in which Diaskintest is inferior to Mantoux is that it does not help assess the strength of the immune system after BCG.

Quantiferon test

Laboratory testing is carried out at a tuberculosis clinic. With high accuracy, it determines the presence of tuberculosis infection in both the active and dormant stages. For the study, blood is taken from a vein, it is analyzed, on the basis of which a conclusion is made.

For children, this test is recommended from 5 years of age. The Quantiferon test has no contraindications or side effects. The main disadvantage is the high cost of the procedure. Often, if the results are questionable, an auxiliary study is required.

PCR

The polymerase chain reaction helps to identify various types of diseases in a person, including tuberculosis. The study not only determines the presence of microbacteria, but also their type. The method is complex and expensive, so it is usually carried out only if there are indications (contact with a patient, signs of tuberculosis, allergy to tuberculin, etc.).

The analysis is carried out on any biological fluid of the patient: blood, saliva, sputum, etc. The specialist decides on what material to conduct the test depending on the specific situation. Using genetic molecular tests, a cell's DNA is isolated, an analysis is carried out and a conclusion is made about the presence or absence of Koch's bacillus in the body.

T-SPOT

The method is most effective for the primary diagnosis of tuberculosis. The T-SPOT test determines the number of cells that produce interferon. The test has no contraindications or side effects, and the likelihood of a false positive reaction is close to zero.

For research, venous blood is taken from the patient. Next, blood cells are stimulated with antigen proteins. Based on their interaction, a conclusion is made about the presence or absence of tuberculosis microbacteria. The price of such a study is from 5,000 rubles.

When side effects occur in children, the main thing is the correct and timely reaction of parents. Therefore, it is so important to understand what to do if a child’s temperature rises after Mantoux. In exceptional cases, alternative methods will have to be used to determine the presence of Koch bacilli.

How long does the temperature usually last after Mantoux in children and what to do about it?

Injections are mainly given at school age, and the reaction to the test most often occurs in young children. An increase in temperature appears within an hour or two after Mantoux. If the temperature is up to 38 degrees without other symptoms, then it will normalize within three days and without outside intervention.

In addition to the fact that the temperature may rise after Mantoux, children also experience many unpleasant sensations , among them may be:

• dizziness, nausea
• sudden increases in temperature
• causeless vomiting, extensive rashes on the skin
• decreased blood pressure, resulting in drowsiness and weakness.

If the child’s immune system is impaired, parents have the right to write a waiver of Mantoux. After all, the microorganisms of the drug can further harm the baby’s already weak health.

Why is Mantoux vaccination dangerous?

Also, due to the development of some other infection in the child’s body, there may be complications after the Mantoux test. Then the increase in temperature is not an allergy, not the effect of phenol on the student’s body.

In this case, you should go to the pediatrician so that he can assess the patient’s condition and prescribe the correct treatment. And such consequences often occur the very next day after the injection.

IMPORTANT : After you have done the Mantoux test, try to make sure that your child does not wet the area where the injection was given. The test result may be incorrect.

How many days does it usually last?

The temperature after the Mantoux test can last for different times. It depends on what caused its increase.

If hyperthermia is a normal reaction of the body, then it can be observed for several days after the injection. The fever goes away on its own without taking medications. But it is easy to get rid of it in a day if you give your child antipyretic medications.

With the development of an infectious-inflammatory process, the temperature can remain at a high level until competent medical care is provided.

Children prone to hyperthermia should be given antipyretics on the eve of the tuberculin test and for 2-3 days after it. This will help prevent the thermometer from rising.

What to do if a child or adult has a high fever after Mantoux?

Healthcare workers conducting routine vaccinations must take a number of measures before administering them. Parents, in turn, are wary of such events. Indeed, there are many cases where a child fell ill with colds after the Mantoux reaction. And some mothers and fathers completely refuse them and other methods, despite the fact that tuberculosis is common in our time. And monitoring the health of children is simply necessary.

Mantoux test

IMPORTANT : If you do not want to do Mantoux, then you need to do a blood test or x-ray once a year. These methods have their drawbacks, but they can detect tuberculosis when it responds well to treatment.

Mantoux test - what can be replaced?
If after the Mantoux test the following conditions of the child are detected, then in any case, call an ambulance.

1. If a child’s temperature has risen sharply (more than 38.5 degrees) and no methods can bring it down.
2. In cases where the papule has become indecently large, redness and suppuration are observed. And any hand movements cause pain.
3. Call a doctor if your child has a gag reflex, weakness, nausea, convulsions, muscle pain, diarrhea, loss of consciousness, and especially delirium.
4. If there is irritation on the skin, swelling, heavy breathing, then you need a doctor and it wouldn’t hurt to take antihistamines.

How the body tolerates the Mantoux test

The Mantoux test is not a vaccine against tuberculosis, as is often mistakenly believed. Mantoux’s main task is to assess the strength of immunity to the causative agent of tuberculosis and the risks of the disease in the future.

The vaccine against tuberculosis is BCG, which is given to the child in the first days after birth. Revaccination is carried out after 7 years, this is how long the effect of the drug is.

The first Mantoux test is given to a child at one year of age. It is believed that by this time the baby’s body is strong enough to carry out the test. A repeat test is carried out:

• 1 time per year for children vaccinated with BCG;
• 2 times a year in the absence of BCG or the presence of a number of diseases (HIV, diabetes, pneumonia, etc.).

Mandatory diagnosis with tuberculin solution is carried out up to 15 years. Further, Mantoux is prescribed only if there are certain indications:

• the need for BCG vaccination;
• established contact with a person with tuberculosis;
• presence of suspicion of active tuberculosis disease.

The result of the study is assessed 3 days after administration of the drug using a spot at the injection site. The table shows the limit values ​​of normal reaction rates to the Mantoux test.

For more information on how to correctly measure a papule, read the article: What should a child’s reaction to mantu be?

Is it necessary to take the temperature before Mantoux vaccination?

Before performing tests, the pediatrician must examine the child. And you need to measure the temperature, since Mantoux is not made at elevated temperatures. In addition, the doctor is obliged to examine the throat and listen to the lungs. Only after establishing that the patient is completely healthy can you go to the treatment room and do the Mantoux test. The doctor is also obliged to make an entry in the hospital card about the examination of the baby.

Medical examination before the Mantoux test

Parents should prepare their child for this test in advance. Especially if the child suffers from allergies.

1. Limit your consumption of foods that can cause allergenic reactions (chocolate, honey, strawberries, nuts, citrus fruits).
2. Do not give your children new foods that the baby has never tried (cakes, soda, ice cream, chewing gum, fast food).
3. Before vaccination, go to see a doctor; if your child is prone to allergies, you will have to take antihistamines.
4. On the day of the injection, take a control measurement of the baby’s body temperature at home.
5. Avoid the Mantoux test if your children have recently had an infectious disease. And after a month after illness, give an injection. Otherwise, there may be complications after the test and the result will not correspond to reality.
6. Antihistamines (suprastin, fenistil, Zyrtec) are taken three days before Mantoux injections.

Mantoux and temperature after vaccination: elevated - normal or abnormal

Increased body temperature after Mantoux vaccination is not considered a normal reaction of the body. Only redness of the skin at the injection site and swelling are allowed, and all other symptoms indicate pathological processes in the body. The human factor should also be taken into account:

• improper storage of the vaccine;
• violation of the rules for its transportation;
• failure to comply with sanitary and hygienic conditions when performing Mantoux;
• violation by parents of the rules of behavior/life of the baby after vaccination.

The vaccine should be stored in a refrigerator.
All this can negatively affect the body’s sensitivity to the drug, which will lead to hyperthermia.

What happens if you make Mantoux at a temperature?

Doing the Mantoux Test when the patient has a fever is prohibited. Because the result of the injection will be false and there may be various unpleasant consequences.

To prevent this from happening, parents should pay more attention to their children. Do not let your child with ARVI or influenza go to school. If your baby is sick, visit a doctor and undergo a course of treatment. There is no need to leave everything behind because you are busy. After all, the health of the child should always come first.

Is it possible to make Mantu at a temperature?