The nurse reading a tuberculin skin test (TST) on a new employee who lives in the Midwest,
is 20-years-old, and has no known history of contact with any people with tuberculosis (TB).
The nurse should interpret the reading as positive if the area around the injection site has an
induration of how many millimeters?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D (15 mm) because for a low-risk individual like the new employee, a TST is considered positive if the induration is 15 mm or greater. This is based on the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for interpreting TST results in individuals without known risk factors. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because an induration of 0 mm, 5 mm, or 10 mm, respectively, would not meet the criteria for a positive TST in this low-risk individual. It is important to consider the individual's risk factors and follow established guidelines to accurately interpret TST results.