QuantiFERON Tb Gold Test Cost
The QuantiFERON Tb Gold Test is a bit expensive because of the technology it uses in developing tools for the early diagnosis and treatment of TB. The cost of the QuantiFERON Gold test ranges from $149 to $208 in different labs across the U.S.
The majority of the health insurance companies in the U.S. cover the cost of the QuantiFERON TB Gold test. Therefore, it is recommended that you go through your insurance policy paper first to ensure that it covers the cost of the test before getting tested.
Why take the QuantiFERON TB test?
Tuberculosis is a serious, life-threatening infection caused by the tubercle bacillus, a type of bacteria. The disease is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and can be spread through contact with infected people or objects. The QuantiFERON TB test is a test that can help identify people who are at risk for tuberculosis. The test uses a radioactive material to measure how often the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis is present in your blood. If you have the QuantiFERON TB test, you are at risk for developing tuberculosis and may need treatment.
What is tuberculosis?
TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB can infect the lungs, but it can also spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain, kidney, heart and spine. TB is highly contagious and spreads through droplets in the air. It is one of the world’s leading infectious diseases that causes death. ..
Types of tuberculosis
TBs are caused by the human body’s immune system attacking and killing the bacteria that cause TB. TBs are caused by a different type of bacteria, called Mycoplasma, which is not as harmful to the body.
If someone shows the symptoms of TB infection, such as continuous coughing, coughing blood, pain in the chest, rapid weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and sweating at night, they are said to be infected with an active TB infection. Which indicates that they are also spreading the disease.
If you are infected with TB, it is important to get treatment as soon as possible. Treatment can help you feel better and stop the spread of the infection.
This is an important test because if you have an active infection of TB, you can easily identify it and seek medical attention. However, in the case of latent TB infection, there is only one way to know whether you are infected with TB or not, and that is by getting yourself tested. If you are diagnosed with latent TB, you can then seek treatment for it, which would save you from a huge amount of undesirable pain.
What would happen if left untreated?
If left untreated, tuberculosis can spread to other organs in the body, such as the kidney, liver, brain and spine. This can lead to heart problems, spinal pain, damage in the joints, meningitis, liver and kidney disorders and even death. ..
Tuberculosis is a deadly disease that can be completely treated with antibiotics. However, it is important to seek medical help if you notice any symptoms, as early treatment can save your life and prevent expensive treatments down the line. If someone in your family has ever been diagnosed with tuberculosis, taking the QuantiFERON TB Gold test would be the best way to detect if you have the infection and start treatment early. The QuantiFERON TB Gold test is highly sensitive to tuberculosis infection and can detect it at an early stage of the infection, which is why it is widely used for detecting latent TB in the United States. ..
A negative IGRA does not always mean that you do not have tuberculosis infection. In many cases, it has been notified that patients with TB have shown negative results in the tests. Similarly, a positive IGRA does not always indicate infection either. Sometimes non-tuberculosis mycobacteria can cause a positive IGRA. ..
If you are a person who has to be around TB patients or a person who has someone suffering from TB in their family, regular testing is required. If your job does not necessitate being around TB patients, you don’t need to have yourself tested that often. ..
The United States has the lowest reported cases of TB in the world. The cases of TB were at the lowest in 2019. In 2021, there were 7860 cases in the United States (according to CDC data). But it does not mean that it is not a problem anymore.
Despite being very sensitive and specific in nature, QFT-G cannot distinguish between active tuberculosis disease and latent TB infection. Just like other IGRAs, it cannot replace clinical judgement.
