When Can TB patients be discharged?
Criteria for discharge: If the patient has pulmonary TB, he/she has had at least 3 consecutive sputum AFB smears, including at least one early AM or induced sputum, collected at least 8 hours apart.
Do TB patients have to be quarantined?
Descriptive Note: Quarantine is a disease control measure that applies to individuals who have been exposed to a communicable disease but are not yet ill. Individuals who are latently infected with TB pose no risk of transmission; therefore, quarantine is not an appropriate disease control measure for TB.
How long is a TB patient considered infectious?
Some people are probably noncontagious after two weeks while on medication or during treatment but some researchers suggest that others may take longer (months) until they are not able to spread the disease.
How long do TB patients stay in hospital?
The mean length of stay was 119.7 days (median, 70 days; range, 7-656 days), and was higher among homeless patients than nonhomeless patients (168.8 vs 93.4 days).
Where do TB patients go?
When a person breathes in TB bacteria, the bacteria can settle in the lungs and begin to grow. From there, they can move through the blood to other parts of the body, such as the kidney, spine, and brain. TB disease in the lungs or throat can be infectious.
What factors can reduce the spread of tuberculosis?
The risk of infection can be reduced by using a few simple precautions: good ventilation: as TB can remain suspended in the air for several hours with no ventilation. natural light: UV light kills off TB bacteria. good hygiene: covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing reduces the spread of TB bacteria.
How long does TB stay in air?
M. tuberculosis can exist in the air for up to six hours, during which time another person may inhale it.
How long does TB virus live in air?
How to report a TB patient for discharge?
Call (628) 206-8524 during weekdays/working hours (Monday-Friday , 8:00am-5:00pm) to report patients with suspected or confirmed TB disease or to obtain discharge approval. Please complete the above packet of discharge approval forms and fax to (628) 206-4565 to begin the discharge approval process. Why must we wait to discharge a patient?
What are the characteristics of a TB patient?
The characteristics of a patient with TB disease that are associated with infectiousness include, but are not limited to, those listed in Table 7.1. The infectiousness of a TB patient is directly related to the number of droplet nuclei carrying M. tuberculosis (tubercle bacilli) that are expelled into the air.
What is an AII room for TB patients?
have an AII room, patients should be placed in a room that has been designated for isolation of persons with suspected or known infectious TB disease and, if possible, referred to a facility with an AII room.
Many tuberculosis (TB) patients are never hospitalized. The greatest risk of transmission occurs prior to initiation of treatment. Seventy-five percent of all people who are acid fast bacillus (AFB) sputum smear positive will remain so for at least 2 weeks, with the majority remaining positive for 4 to 6 weeks.