Heaf test

Heaf test
Purposetest tuberculosis in children (discontinued)

The Heaf test, a diagnostic skin test, was long performed to determine whether or not children had been exposed to tuberculosis infection. The test was named after F. R. G. Heaf. Also known as the Sterneedle test,[1] it was administered by a Heaf gun (trademarked "Sterneedle"),[2] a spring-loaded instrument with six needles arranged in a circular formation which was inserted in the wrist[3] or shoulder.

The Heaf test was discontinued in 2005 because the manufacturer deemed its production to be financially unsustainable after manufacturers could not be found for tuberculin or Heaf guns. Until 2005, the test was used in the United Kingdom to determine if the BCG vaccine was needed; the Mantoux test is now used instead. The Heaf test was preferred in the UK, because it was thought to be easier to interpret, with less variability between observers, and less training was required to administer and read the test.

Patients who exhibited a negative reaction to the test were considered for BCG vaccination.

The Heaf test was used to test for tuberculosis in adolescents aged around 13–14.[4]

  1. ^ Nolan, Thomas E. (1996). Primary care for the obstetrician and gynecologist. Wiley-IEEE. p. 285. ISBN 978-0-471-12279-1. Retrieved 17 October 2010.
  2. ^ "Test substance for tuberculosis" (PDF). United States Patent and Trademark Office. 13 July 1976. Retrieved 17 October 2010. ...multiple scratch scarifications by an instrument known as the Heaf gun (also known by the Trademark "Sterneedle"), or by...[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Heaf Test". Black's Medical Dictionary, 42nd Edition. London: A & C Black. 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2010. (subscription required)
  4. ^ Shaw, Ian; Woodward, Louise (2004). "Cultures: British". Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology: Health and Illness in the World's Cultures. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media. Retrieved 17 October 2010. (subscription required)