The abbreviation DST stands for Diaskintest. This is a test, which is a specific method for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Until recently, in order to detect a disease, a patient was administered a drug containing the waste products of Koch's rods. This procedure is called the Mantoux test. Every year more and more complaints were presented to the latter. This is due to the fact that a large number of patients show false results. Diaskintest is a modern analogue of the Mantoux test, characterized by a high degree of reliability.
What is DST?
To prevent the development of severe forms of tuberculosis and the timely development of pathology, the doctor needs to evaluate the body's response to the vital activity of Koch sticks, which are the causative agents of a dangerous ailment. Based on the patient’s manifestations of an immune response, a specialist can conclude whether a person is infected or not.
It is important to understand that DST is such a vaccination, which has nothing to do with prophylaxis. This is a modern drug that has been used in practice since 2015. It is an analogue of the Tuberculin drug used to conduct the Mantoux test. You need to know that DST is such a method that has the highest degree of reliability. If a positive reaction is detected, the patient is shown hospitalization in a hospital where he will undergo a course of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy.
Composition
Each parent should be aware that the DST vaccine is a test that does not contain the waste products of Koch sticks. It contains only synthetic antigens.
A protein with two surface foreign agents, which the body perceives as the causative agent of tuberculosis, acts as an allergen. In addition to the active components, the drug contains auxiliary substances:
- phenol (preservative);
- polysorbate (stabilizer);
- sodium phosphate and potassium;
- saline solution.
A protein with antigens is more specific than the waste products of Koch's bacillus. In other words, the likelihood of a negative reaction is maximally high in the absence of the disease.
Some parents are concerned about the fact that DST is such a test during which phenol enters the body of the child. According to clinical studies, this substance is administered in a minimal dose. It is not able to have a negative impact on the body of even a one-year-old child. In addition, the drug used for the Mantoux test also contains phenol.
Dates
There are certain standards approved by the Ministry of Health. They strictly regulate the frequency of DST vaccination.
The timing is as follows:
- Diaskintest is indicated for children and adolescents whose age is in the range of 8-17 years. The test is carried out once a year as part of a mass survey of the population for the detection of tuberculosis.
- If the child has not been vaccinated with BCG, Diaskintest is shown 1 time in 6 months.
- Adults should know that DST is a test that applies to them. Men and women are also recommended to administer the drug every year for prevention.
- For children from 1 year to 8 years, a test is carried out only if a positive Mantoux reaction is detected.
In all other cases, the timing of the setting is determined by the doctor (pediatrician or therapist). Diaskintest can be repeated no earlier than 2 months after receiving a negative result. If the reaction is positive, the timing can be any. But in this case, the duration of the time intervals should also be determined by the doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient’s health. In addition, DST is not performed earlier than 30 days after vaccination and acute infectious pathologies.
What rules need to be observed after the sample?
The drug is administered subcutaneously. The formulation algorithm is identical to the procedure for conducting a Mantoux test.
In order for the test results to be reliable, several recommendations must be followed:
- Before deciphering DST by a doctor, do not take water procedures. In this case, the injection site of the drug is allowed to be wetted, but it is desirable that the contact of the skin with water is as short as possible and only if necessary.
- You can not scratch, rub, inject the injection site with topical preparations for faster healing, wrap with a bandage or stick with a band-aid.
- Prior to re-visiting a doctor, it is recommended to avoid high-intensity physical activity. The release of sweat can provoke the appearance of changes in the ongoing reaction.
In addition, it is not recommended to spend a long time in the sun and walk in severe frost.
Interpretation of Results
Deciphering DST vaccination is done by a therapist or pediatrician. Moreover, during the assessment, experts rely on certain criteria.
Options for the result:
- The reaction is negative. The doctor did not reveal any changes at the injection site. A similar result indicates that there are no active mycobacteria in the body of the studied person. Immediately at the injection site, the injection mark can be visualized. In case of violation of the algorithm, in some cases a hematoma is formed. Parents worry that the DST vaccine has turned blue. What it is? A similar condition indicates a rupture of small blood vessels. It is not pathological and does not serve as the basis for immediate medical attention. The difficulty lies only in the fact that a bruise at the injection site can distort the results, as if masking redness. In such situations, retesting is indicated.
- The reaction is positive. The first sign of the presence of Koch sticks in the body is an infiltrate at the injection site. Moreover, the more pathogens, the larger the compaction. In size, it can reach 15 mm. It is important to understand that a positive Diaskintest result indicates infection, and not an active course of the disease. Many people have Koch sticks in their bodies, but they are in a sleeping state. Their transition to the active phase can occur under the influence of various adverse factors. Indications for immediate treatment are: infiltrate more than 15 mm, inflamed lymph nodes, vesicle and crust structures at the injection site.
The result can also be considered dubious. For example, in the case of a bruise, which may prevent the doctor from correctly interpreting the reaction.
Causes of False Results
In isolated cases, DST is positive if there is no pathogen in the patient's body. This may be due to the following conditions:
- The doctor ignored the contraindications of the subject.
- The injection site was infected.
- After the administration of the drug, an allergic reaction to the protein arose.
- The patient has autoimmune pathologies.
Adults are not allowed to drink alcohol before the test and before evaluating the reaction. Alcohol can significantly distort the results.
Contraindications
Like any other test, DST has a number of limitations to conduct. The main contraindications to the administration of the drug:
- Dermatological diseases, accompanied by extensive rashes.
- Epilepsy.
- The presence of any pathologies in acute form.
- Elevated body temperature.
- Individual intolerance to the components that make up the drug.
The list of contraindications can be expanded by the attending physician on the basis of the history and examination.
Side effects
According to numerous reviews, the drug is well tolerated by most patients. Some people may feel slightly worse overall well-being. This is manifested in the form:
- Episodes of a headache.
- Elevated body temperature.
- General malaise.
- An allergic reaction (itching, shortness of breath, rashes, swelling of the nasopharynx).
An abscess or bruise may form at the injection site. In adults, jumps in blood pressure are sometimes observed.
In most cases, side effects are short-lived. As a rule, they pass on their own within a few days or even hours. If an allergic reaction occurs, doctors recommend taking an antihistamine, such as Zirtek or Erius.
If an abscess occurs at the injection site, you must consult a doctor. This phenomenon indicates infection of the wound.
Finally
Since 2015, a test has been put in Russia, or as it is also called, a DST vaccine. What it is? In the reviews, doctors write that this test is a modern type of study whose task is to identify tuberculosis pathogens in the human body. According to many reviews, Diaskintest has a lot of advantages over the Mantoux test. First of all, the preparation used has a safer composition. In addition, Diaskintest has the highest degree of reliability. If a positive result is found, the patient is immediately hospitalized in a hospital where he is given anti-tuberculosis therapy.