The Mantoux tuberculin test is one of the most common diagnostic procedures. A Mantoux test is performed to determine whether, after vaccination, the body has developed specific immunity to mycobacteria, the causative agent of tuberculosis, and also to identify the fact of infection with this infection.
This method of early detection of the disease is the main one until adulthood. Subsequently, anti-tuberculosis screening is carried out using radiographic techniques, which are contraindicated in young patients. If the child was vaccinated with BCG according to the schedule, then the first tuberculin test is performed at twelve months, and then annually. For unvaccinated children, the Mantoux test is done every six months, starting from the age of six months, until vaccination. After this, tuberculin diagnostics are carried out according to a standard schedule. It is advisable not to violate it and monitor the regularity of examinations.
The reaction is determined by the appearance of the papules 72 hours after administration of the drug. If the injection site does not exceed four millimeters in diameter, then the result is negative. In case of a positive reaction, the patient is sent for additional examination to confirm or refute the activity of Koch's bacillus in the body. The immune response increases not only when infected with tuberculosis, but also during an exacerbation of an infectious or somatic disease or allergy.
Sometimes the result can be false positive or false negative, which is provoked by a violation of the injection technique, improper care of the injection site, ignoring contraindications and other factors. The first prohibition that is usually talked about is unwanted contact of the injection site with water.
Quite often, parents believe that Mantoux and a swimming pool are mutually exclusive and refuse to attend classes until the results are ready. In reality, everything depends on the individual characteristics of the child’s body, while clean water does not affect the effect of the tuberculin composition at all.
Is it possible to go to the pool immediately after Mantoux?
In fact, contact of the injection site with water is absolutely harmless, does not pose any health hazard and does not affect the effect of the drug. Therefore, it is allowed to wet the injection site and go to the pool after Mantoux. Water will not provoke significant changes in the functioning of the active substance, nor will it affect the final result. Already on the second day after the introduction of the composition, you can wet Manta in the pool, the main thing is to make sure before going swimming that:
- the child feels fine;
- the injection site did not turn red;
- no large papule formed.
If contact with water is not at all harmful for vaccination, then intense physical impact on the injection site of the test drug is strictly prohibited. Do not rub or scratch the injection area, because in this case, in 85% of cases the result will be erroneous. That is why doctors recommend limiting bathing after injection manipulation so that the itching in the injection area does not intensify and the child does not start scratching and damage the wound.
Is it allowed to go swimming after Mantoux?
Doctors often recommend avoiding getting water into the vaccination site to avoid possible distortion of the result. The skin reaction determines whether there are dangerous microbes or tuberculosis bacilli in the body. If the answer is unclear, the child will be sent for a full examination. Therefore, doctors and parents usually prefer to play it safe by completely eliminating the possibility of getting the injection site wet - this way they can get the most accurate result.
But it should be borne in mind that the very contact of the skin with water is not dangerous and does not affect anything. Only rubbing the sample site with a washcloth or a hard towel can have a negative effect. When contacting coarse fibers, the skin is damaged and irritation occurs, which is often accompanied by inflammation and redness. This process can easily be confused with a positive response to Mantoux vaccination.
Therefore, you can swim, take a shower, or swim in the pool after the test, but under no circumstances should you wipe the injection site. It is best to gently blot the area with a soft paper towel or cloth. If a child goes to class alone, it is necessary to explain to him that the skin should not be touched with a washcloth, wiped with force, or scratched with nails, even if itching occurs.
Why is swimming prohibited?
Tuberculin is an allergen that is injected intradermally. It is needed to identify the body's reaction to it. It manifests itself as redness and a slight thickening, which in many children itches quite a lot. Water getting into the injection site causes even more severe itching, and if the child starts rubbing this area, the final test results will be incorrect. This is why doctors:
- It is not recommended to take Mantoux into the pool and soak it in an artificial pond before the result is taken;
- they recommend that a child with Mantoux refrain from swimming due to the increased content of infections in open water bodies and pools;
- Avoid swimming procedures in the pool for allergy sufferers, since the aggravation of the allergic reaction and, ultimately, unreliable results can also be caused by the chemicals used to treat the water in the tanks.
Do not forget also that the pool is a public place. There the child will come into contact with other people who can be a source of bacteria and viruses. Meeting with them in the first three days after the manipulation is extremely undesirable.
The wound formed after the administration of tuberculin to evaluate the Mantoux reaction heals really quickly in the child, and water and infections cannot get through it. But many bacteria and viruses are transmitted by airborne droplets, and given that the drug slightly weakens the immune system, the child can easily get sick. The presence of a third-party infection in the body distorts the result.
Hypothermia can be a problem. After injection of tuberculin, a child may experience:
- weakness;
- temperature increase;
- headache.
These symptoms are temporary, they go away on their own and do not require seeing a doctor. But additional cold significantly increases the risk of developing an acute respiratory infection. Therefore, if the child looks lethargic and weakened, then it is not worth the risk, so that going to the pool does not provoke more serious complications.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT ADMISSION TO THE POOL FOR CHILDREN WITH CERTAIN DISEASES
Q: I am a doctor myself and treated my child well, and his diarrhea stopped yesterday. Is it possible to take him to the pool? Oh no. To prevent contamination of the pool water with difficult-to-treat intestinal pathogens, such as Cryptosporidum, it is recommended to wait at least 2 weeks after normal bowel movements have been restored before taking your child into the pool. Q: Can I take a child with a cough or nasal discharge to the pool if he does not have a fever? A: No, you can't. The humid environment of the pool contributes to the rapid spread of pathogens of respiratory infections, both by airborne droplets and by water and contact. You don't want your child to infect other kids, do you? Q: My child has insulin-dependent diabetes. Why don't you recommend that he go to the pool? A: Exercise in water can cause your blood glucose levels to drop quickly. A consultation with a doctor at our medical center will help you weigh all the risks and assess the balance of the benefits of swimming in the pool for your child and the potential risks.
What happens when you get wet?
It is especially necessary to actively protect the vaccination site on the first day. On the second and third days after the manipulation, a small amount of clean water that gets on the wound does not pose any threat.
You can safely bathe your child after Mantoux; you should never neglect hygiene. It is much more dangerous if dirt or infection gets into the wound. You are allowed to wash, but it is better not to touch your hands. For “insurance”, you can protect the papule with a handkerchief, towel, but not with polyethylene or adhesive tape, because under the non-breathable material the skin will swell and irritation will occur. Doctors can interpret such manifestations as a positive test result and refer the patient for further examination.
Even if water gets on the wound, there is no need to panic. If, during diligent hand washing, splashes spread onto the papule, this is not a big deal. It is necessary to gently blot the injection site with a soft napkin or towel, without applying physical pressure. But what you definitely shouldn’t do is go to a bathhouse or sauna, comb, rub, heat, or cover the injection site with iodine mesh.
You shouldn’t pay excessive attention to the wound either: examine it, take special care of it, worry if water drips on it. Only if the papule has been scratched, or has grown too large in size, does it make sense to go to the clinic before the appointed date.
When can you go to the pool?
There is no need to categorically cancel trips to the pool after testing for tuberculosis. You can visit the pool already on the second day after the procedure, but whether it is worth doing this is determined by parents independently, assessing the health of their child. If he is not prone to allergic reactions, and there is no risk of catching a cold due to hypothermia, then he can swim in the pool after receiving the Mantoux vaccination.
Often parents, when planning to send their child to swim after Mantoux, worry not only that water will get on the wound, but also that additional sports activity will not harm the body in the post-injection period. If the body reacts normally to tuberculin, you don’t have to worry and don’t change your usual lifestyle. To find out, just watch the baby for a few hours after the injection. In a situation where negative reactions are pronounced, you will have to give up not only sports activities, but also consult a doctor.
If a child has sensitive skin, a tendency to allergic reactions and a weak immune system, then it is better to postpone going to the pool for three days. Additional stress, hypothermia, contact with chemical disinfectants and possible infections in this case can cause weakening of the body and distortion of the result.
After Mantoux, there is no need to give up your child’s favorite sports activities, including swimming in the pool. Water is not a direct contraindication for tuberculin diagnostics and it is necessary to cancel swimming only if the patient’s health requires it. Before going to the pool, you should definitely determine that the drug did not weaken the body, did not provoke an allergic reaction, or an increase in temperature. If the child is healthy, then you can go to the pool after Mantoux.
Visit to the swimming pool
Contact with water is not dangerous, so there are no significant distortions in the results due to it. It is forbidden to rub the injection mark and comb it. But water can trigger the urge to itch, and children have difficulty coping with it. This is what causes erroneous results.
If a child has sensitive skin, it is better not to wet the vaccination mark for three days.
However, this does not mean that you cannot wash during these few days - hygiene rules should be observed. And if water gets on the grafting site, there is no need to worry. Plain water will not cause infection.
But if there is no strict ban on water, the question arises whether it is possible to visit the pool after Mantoux.
The swimming pool is a public place where all kinds of people come. It is impossible to know for sure that they are completely healthy. Administration of the drug to a child makes his body too sensitive to any external influences, so one must try to avoid negative influences. This means that it is better to refrain from visiting the pool.
Despite the fact that the wound heals quickly, and after an hour it is difficult for any liquid to penetrate the skin, many infections are easily transmitted by airborne droplets. As a result, the child may get sick, which is undesirable when the immune system is weakened due to the vaccine. In addition, the presence of infection in the body can distort the test results.
Another problem that can occur if you swim in a pool after vaccination is hypothermia. Vaccinations weaken a child's body for a period of time and sometimes have side effects such as weakness, fever or headache. If you add exposure to cold, there is an additional risk for disease. Therefore, before going to the pool, it is better to make sure that the child is feeling well and the vaccination did not cause any complications.
Some parents are interested not only in whether it is allowed to wet the vaccination mark. Swimming is a form of exercise, and parents worry whether it will harm their child's health. After a tuberculin test, the body may be weakened, which is why any additional efforts can be harmful.
It is impossible to say for sure whether swimming or other physical activity is harmful to a child with Mantoux. If the body reacts normally to the vaccine, you can do everything that is usually done. However, you need to make sure of this. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the child and his condition for several hours.
If adverse reactions are detected, especially severe ones, you may need the help of a doctor. In this case, any additional loads (including swimming) are contraindicated. It is also impossible to wet the vaccine in this situation.
