TB Prevention
Since TB is spread from an infected person to another through the air when speaking, coughing, or sneezing, it is important to protect yourself especially when traveling abroad, like in Figure A. If you expect to come in to regular contact with clinic, homeless shelter, prison, and hospital populations, then it is important to have a tuberculin skin test (TST) before you leave the country.
If you will be working in health care settings, for example, clinics and hospitals, where TB patients may be found, you should ask about preventing exposure to TB. This can be done by asking about the administrative and environmental procedures for prevention. After doing so, you can also use a personal respiratory mask to protect yourself even further.
If you think you have been exposed to tuberculosis, contact a local health department to see if you should be tested.
Infection Control in Health Care Settings
It is very important for everyone to protect themselves against Tuberculosis. Infection is more prominent among patients in health care setting and health care workers. It is vital to have a control plan for TB infection. The plan should ensure airborne precautions, treatment of people who have TB disease, and prompt detection of infectious patients.
The program should also be based on a hierarchy of control measures. This hierarchy should include: administrative measures, environmental control, and the use of respiratory equipment. The first level is to reduce the risk of uninfected people contracting TB from those who are infected. The second is to reduce the amount of tuberculosis infection in the air. The last level is to use respiratory protection to reduce the risk of infection for health care workers, such as Figure B.
Figure B is a mask, used for respiratory protection.
References
"Infection Control and Prevention." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.
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