My children have been exposed to tb

[ellifino]

We live abroad.

MY children have been spending a lot of time with someone who has just been diagnosed with tb.

The children and I all have coughs and bad chests.

I went to the dr yesterday who advised to leave it a week and see if antibiotics would clear it up.

Wondering whether to go back and ask to be tested for tb. The test is an x-ray afaik, and yesterday dr said that x-raying children when not completely necessary is v bad.

But is it necessary?

Very worried.

From what I know, TB takes a long while to show symptoms. I think it can be diagnosed from chest secretions.
Presumably you are in a country where there is a significant amount? IWWY, I would wait to see whether the antibiotics have any effect, if they don't, then press for more tests.
Good luck

Thanks Kreecher. Have just got back from hospital where they did something like a heaf test and we will gauge their reaction to that over the next 72 hours.

They have both had their BCGs and are up to date in their vaccinations. Today's doctor said it was pretty unlikely that they will have got it. Better safe than sorry though. If they get a big reaction to today's test then we x-ray on Thursday.

In the mean time we carry on with the a/bs and hope it's just a coincidence.

My kids both got exposed to TB just over a year ago. The test shows if they have been exposed and the reaction indicates their immune reaction. Both reacted and they were xrayed and given 3 months of very strong antibiotics (specifically for TB). They were not ill at all but given them as a precautionary measure as in interest of public health.