brak666: (AnnoyedBrak)
brak666 ([personal profile] brak666) wrote2005-11-02 02:13 pm

Why I'm annoyed with House (the show, not the character)


A PPD does not confirm TB infection. It confirms TB exposure. No one ever would've done a PPD on Sebastian because as House said it would of course, be positive. There's no way a doctor working with TB patients in Africa would have a negative PPD. Even in the presence of symptoms a PPD requires confirmation before a definitive diagnosis is made.

[identity profile] lanchid.livejournal.com 2005-11-02 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
So what you are saying is that the PPD would have come in positive, but it by itself didn't mean that "Dr. Genius" had TB?

(Sorry for the stupid question, I am not operating on all thrusters today.)

[identity profile] brak666.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 05:05 am (UTC)(link)
Yes. The PPD tests for exposure to TB. It's a useful tool for detecting the disease in healthy populations. In areas where TB is endemic, it is less than useless.