Prevention of Communicable Diseases.
Prevention of Communicable Diseases
Tuberculosis:
Infection control strategies:
There are three levels of infection control (IC) measures: administrative
(managerial), environmental, and personal respiratory protection. Administrative controls are the most important since environmental controls and personal respiratory protection will not work in the absence of solid administrative control measures. Each level operates at a different point in the transmission process:
• Administrative controls reduce HCW and patient exposure
• Environmental controls reduce the concentration of infectious droplet nuclei
• Personal respiratory protection protects HCWs in areas where the concentration of droplet nuclei cannot be adequately reduced by administrative and environmental controls.
1st Priority Administrative Controls
2nd Priority Environmental Controls
3rd Priority Personal Respiratory Protection
Administrative (managerial) controls:
The first and most important level of control is the use of administrative controls to prevent droplet nuclei from being generated and thus reducing the exposure of
HCWs and patients to M. tuberculosis. Ideally, if the risk of exposure can be eliminated, no further controls are needed. Unfortunately, the risk usually cannot be eliminated, but it can be significantly reduced with proper administrative measures.
Important administrative measures include early diagnosis of potentially infectious TB patients, prompt separation or isolation of infectious TB patients, and the prompt initiation of appropriate anti-tuberculosis treatment. Other important measures include an assessment of the risk of transmission in the facility, the development of an IC plan that details in writing the measures that should be taken in a given facility, and adequate training of HCWs to implement the plan. It is essential that one individual be assigned responsibility and accorded authority to monitor the implementation of the
Tuberculosis:
Infection control strategies:
There are three levels of infection control (IC) measures: administrative
(managerial), environmental, and personal respiratory protection. Administrative controls are the most important since environmental controls and personal respiratory protection will not work in the absence of solid administrative control measures. Each level operates at a different point in the transmission process:
• Administrative controls reduce HCW and patient exposure
• Environmental controls reduce the concentration of infectious droplet nuclei
• Personal respiratory protection protects HCWs in areas where the concentration of droplet nuclei cannot be adequately reduced by administrative and environmental controls.
1st Priority Administrative Controls
2nd Priority Environmental Controls
3rd Priority Personal Respiratory Protection
Administrative (managerial) controls:
The first and most important level of control is the use of administrative controls to prevent droplet nuclei from being generated and thus reducing the exposure of
HCWs and patients to M. tuberculosis. Ideally, if the risk of exposure can be eliminated, no further controls are needed. Unfortunately, the risk usually cannot be eliminated, but it can be significantly reduced with proper administrative measures.
Important administrative measures include early diagnosis of potentially infectious TB patients, prompt separation or isolation of infectious TB patients, and the prompt initiation of appropriate anti-tuberculosis treatment. Other important measures include an assessment of the risk of transmission in the facility, the development of an IC plan that details in writing the measures that should be taken in a given facility, and adequate training of HCWs to implement the plan. It is essential that one individual be assigned responsibility and accorded authority to monitor the implementation of the