Patients who are initially suspected of having active TB should be placed in an airborne precautions isolation room. Airborne precautions require a private room and a negative pressure air handling system that exhausts to the outside. The door must remain closed. Patients infected with the same organism can share a room; this is called cohorting.
Airborne precautions require a gown, gloves, and an N95 mask. The proper sequence for putting on personal protective equipment (PPE) is:
- Wash hands
- Gown
- Mask or respirator
- Goggles/face shield
- Gloves
The proper sequence for removing PPE is:
- Gloves
- Goggles/face shield
- Gown
- Mask
- Wash hands
When removing PPE, it is important only to touch areas of the PPE that are not contaminated or potentially contaminated, e.g., the front of the gown is considered to be potentially contaminated, the ties in the back of the gown would not.
A surgical N95 respirator is recommended. The N95 is a single-user, disposable item that must be fit-tested to be effective. Fit testing should be done when first using an N95, after the correct size and model have been chosen, and should perform a user seal check each time the N95 is used. N95 is different from a simple surgical mask that is discarded after one use, as the N95 can be used more than once. There are guidelines for what has been termed extended use and reuse of the N95. This policy is defined by the facility.
Instruct patients to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
The patient should not be moved out of the isolation room unless necessary. When leaving the isolation room, the patient should wear a surgical mask, which should remain on as long as they are not in the isolation room.
Airborne precautions may be stopped after treatment is started, and the healthcare provider determines the patient is not contagious.
