Tuberculosis (TB) Test

The tuberculosis test at Clínica Hispana Nueva Salud Hammerly is the PPD skin test, which shows whether your body has been in contact with the TB bacteria. Employers, schools and volunteer programs in Houston ask for it, and we do it in Spring Branch with the reading included and paperwork ready for your file.

How do the two skin-test visits work?

1. First visit: our staff places a tiny drop of fluid under the skin of your forearm with a very thin needle. It raises a small bump that fades on its own.
2. While you wait: you can shower and work as usual, but don't scratch, bandage or put lotion on the spot.
3. Second visit: you come back two or three days later to have the reaction measured. Miss that window and the reading no longer counts, so the whole test starts over.

Who usually needs this test?

• People who work in hospitals, nursing homes, daycares or home care.
• Nursing, medical assistant and other health-career students.
• Volunteers at schools or shelters, and some public-facing jobs.
• Anyone who lived with someone diagnosed with tuberculosis.

If you need it for a green card, the requirement is set by USCIS and handled as part of the immigration exam.

What does a positive result mean?

Testing positive is not the same as being sick with TB or able to spread it. It means your body met the bacteria at some point; people who got the BCG vaccine as children, common in Latin America, can react too. That's why the medical team asks about cough, fever or weight loss and lines up the next steps, such as a chest X-ray, with whatever referral is needed.

What do you take with you at the end?

When the test is negative, you get a document with the date it was placed, the date it was read and the size in millimeters, which is what employers and schools usually want. If they also require shots or a school physical, you can take care of it in the same visit.

You don't need to come back at the same hour for the reading: we're open until 9 PM on weekdays and Saturdays.