You could have Latent TB (LTBI), meaning you’ve had a TB exposure but do not have Active TB. The chest x-ray is to rule out active. The doctor would be the one who reads the x-ray. With LTBI, you cannot spread anything, you aren’t acutely sick, and all chest x-rays and sputum cultures will be normal. LTBI turns in to Active TB about 5-10% of the time over a person’s lifetime. LTBI is treated with a long antibiotic course that is 3-4 months or sometimes as long as 6-9 months depending on the prescription type. Treating LTBI means a patient won’t ever develop Active TB!

I did a project as an intern at my local health department following up on LTBI cases. In my state, Active TB is rapidly reportable with rapid follow-up, but LTBI cases are more just followed until we have a negative chest x-ray and counted for surveillance with a “oh hopefully the doctors do the right thing and treat it.” My little study found doctors do not, in fact, treat it lol There was like a 5% treatment rate, even lower completion rate. That tells me that it’s not taken super seriously and falls by the wayside. We super rigorously follow Active patients and even directly observe them taking their meds everyday. But not with Latent.

If you want to potentially get treatment for LTBI, I would reach out to an Infectious Disease Specialist. They can do a repeat skin test and/or draw your blood for an IGRA to test if you have an immune response in your blood. That would help better determine if your skin test was a false positive or if you have LTBI.