Medical History and Physical Exam for Tuberculosis (TB)

Exam Overview

When you give your medical history, your doctor collects information about whether you are likely to have tuberculosis (TB), a bacterial infection. An active infection can spread to other people. A latent infection cannot spread to other people, but it can turn active and become contagious. Your doctor will ask whether you:

• Have symptoms of active TB, such as ongoing cough, fatigue, fever, or night sweats.
• Have been in any situations that may increase your risk of being infected with TB-causing bacteria, such as contact with a person who has active TB, recent travel to places where TB is common, or having a weakened immune system.
• Have had a tuberculin skin test (TB skin test, PPD test) before, and what the results were.
• Have an HIV infection.
• Are taking any medicines, both prescription and nonprescription. Your doctor will want a list of all of these medicines, including herbs and natural products.
• Have been diagnosed with TB in the past but were not treated.

The physical exam looks for signs of TB. A doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your breathing for sounds that indicate a problem in your lungs. The doctor also will look for signs of a TB infection in parts of the body other than your lungs (extrapulmonary TB).