A nurse is assisting with the admission of a client who has active tuberculosis. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?
A.
Restrict the client’s visitors to the immediate family.
B.
Assign the client to a negative pressure airflow room.
C.
Discard personal protective equipment outside the client’s room.
D.
Have the client wear a HEPA mask during transportation throughout the facility.
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is:
B. Assign the client to a negative pressure airflow room.
Explanation:
Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects the lungs but can spread to other parts of the body. TB is transmitted through airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Therefore, specific precautions are essential to prevent the spread of TB, particularly in healthcare settings.
- Negative Pressure Airflow Room: A negative pressure room, also known as an airborne infection isolation (AII) room, is crucial for patients with active TB. This type of room maintains air pressure lower than that of adjacent areas, which helps prevent airborne particles from escaping the room. The air is continuously exhausted to the outside environment through a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter or a similar filtration system. This setup minimizes the risk of TB transmission to other patients, visitors, and healthcare personnel.
- Restricting Visitors: While restricting visitors to immediate family might help reduce exposure, it is not as critical as ensuring proper isolation of the patient. TB control relies heavily on environmental controls and the use of appropriate protective measures rather than solely limiting visitor access.
- Discarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): PPE, such as masks, gloves, and gowns, should be discarded inside the patient’s room according to proper infection control protocols. This prevents the potential spread of infectious agents from contaminated PPE to other areas of the facility.
- HEPA Mask During Transportation: Patients with active TB should indeed wear a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) mask during transportation to minimize airborne transmission. However, the primary measure for controlling TB transmission is the use of negative pressure rooms rather than solely focusing on the patient’s mask use.
In summary, placing the patient in a negative pressure airflow room is the most effective action to control the spread of TB in a healthcare setting. This method helps ensure that airborne particles containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not leave the room, thus protecting other patients and healthcare staff from potential exposure.