Home Health Agency

[akuni]

Nurses working in the home health field are required annual physical exam. A positive PPD test will need a required chest x-ray clearance. My question would be, when will it require another chest x-ray  and will the chest x-ray cover the annual PPD requirements?

[National Jewish Health]

The answer to the question “…when will it require another chest X-ray…” depends on the home health regulations and, in turn, on the likelihood of exposure to tuberculosis (TB).  For example, if the likelihood of your contracting TB is high, given the population you work with, an annual x-ray would be reasonable, as the PPD has become useless.  But if you were very unlikely to encounter active TB, the interim between x-rays might be several years or, if the likelihood of it is practically non-existent, repeat x-rays would probably not be necessary, although required, none-the-less.

[akuni]

Thank you for your knowledge in this field. Right now we require our x-rays to be done every 2 years along with our annual TB test.