Page:Niosh tb guidelines.pdf/19

Rh Health-care-facility workers may receive exposures to droplet nuclei from confirmed or potential tuberculosis transmitters in outpatient clinics, emergency rooms, and similar locations where patients first make contact with health- care facilities and their workers. In most cases, the status of these patients as potential tuberculosis transmitters at this initial point of contact is not known. Workers in correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and other facilities where tuberculosis outbreaks may occur also come into close contact with persons with infectious tuberculosis before their transmitter status is known. When persons suspected of having, or diagnosed with, infectious tuberculosis are isolated, a limited number of health-care-facility workers are required to enter AFB isolation rooms to administer patient care, perform tests and procedures, and engage in other tasks. Persons with infectious tuberculosis may be transported from one isolation room to another through nonisolated areas of the facility. In each of these situations, health-care-facility workers may be exposed to aerosolized droplet nuclei. Hutton and Polder noted (45):