Mycobacterium tuberculosis is transmitted in airborne particles called droplet nuclei that are expelled when persons with pulmonary or laryngeal TB cough, sneeze, shout, or sing. The tiny bacteria can be carried by air currents throughout a room or building. Tuberculosis is not transmitted by direct contact or via contaminated surfaces or items. Health care personnel are potentially exposed to TB during health care activities, case management activities, or when persons with unrecognized pulmonary TB are present in the facility. Facilities should establish TB infection control programs that include administrative, environmental, and respiratory protection measures to help prevent TB transmission among staff and visitors.
In all settings, prompt recognition of individuals needing airborne precautions is the cornerstone to infection prevention. Airborne precautions are used in addition to standard precautions to prevent disease transmission from individuals known or suspected to have diseases spread by fine particles, including TB.
In airborne precautions, patients may be asked to wear surgical masks outside of a negative pressure room. Health care personnel should only wear N95 or PAPR respirators and never wear surgical masks.
Patients with infectious TB can be released from home isolation when all of the following criteria are met:
Environmental controls are the second line of defense in TB infection control programs. Environmental controls include technologies for removal or inactivation of TB in the air. These technologies include:
You should be aware of the environment of your facility, including air flow, UV lighting, and availability of HEPA filters, negative pressure rooms, or alternative methods for achieving negative pressure. The CDC Guidelines for Preventing Transmission of TB in Healthcare Settings (see Table 1) specifies the amount of clearance time required based on the number of air exchanges that occur in the room per hour. Contact your building maintenance staff if you do not know the air exchange rate of the room.
Administrative measures to establish TB precautions include:
Questions about TB? Contact Us! Last Revised: September 14, 2022 |