Introduction
There is a high rate of airborne transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the microorganism responsible for tuberculosis infection (TB). Therefore, patients must be isolated in their homes to control the transmission of the bacterium from the infected to the uninfected individuals (White, Khatib, Riederer & Flood, 2007). The patients and their family members should be provided with the right information and guidelines on how to organize the appropriate isolation rooms and maintain the patient in order to prevent the spread of the disease (White, et al., 2007). The purpose of this report is to provide a detailed but brief description of the information that should be taught to the patients and their families to prevent the spread of TB.
Instructions to the family
First, the patient must stay away from other people (MacIntyr, 2012). A separate room should be equipped for the patient. A surgical mask must be worn when the patient is leaving the room. (National Tuberculosis Center, 2012). Other people should not be allowed to enter the home except those providing support and healthcare services. Moreover, the isolation instructions should remain in effect until a clinician recommends the removal of the patient from isolation. Within the isolation rooms, some safety conditions must always be applied (National Tuberculosis Center, 2012). For example, the windows and doors must remain open to enhance airflow.
Instructions to the patient
According to MacIntyr (2012), the patient’s mouth and nose should be covered with a cloth or tissue when sneezing or coughing. The material should be flushed, burned or sealed off for disposal through incineration immediately after use.
Instructions to the healthcare workers
When visiting a medical set up, the patient must cover his mouth with a surgical mask to avoid infecting other people (National Tuberculosis Center, 2012). It is recommended that the DOT visits need to be conducted outdoors and take the shortest time possible in order not to exceed the exposure time (White, et al., 2007). The DOT worker must wear the N95 mask during the visit. Other health workers must also wear the mask when dealing with the patient, collecting sputum, providing medicine and other activities (White, et al., 2007).
References
MacIntyr, N. (2012). Respiratory Care: Principles and Practice. New York, NY: Jones and Bartlett Learning
National Tuberculosis Center. (2012). Tuberculosis infection control. Web.
White, A. H., Khatib, R., Riederer, K. M., & Flood, M. (2007). Respiratory isolation in a teaching hospital with low-to-moderate rate of tuberculosis: compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for identifying patients who may have active tuberculosis. Am J Infect Control, 25(6), 467-70.