Download Document

ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Nursing Department
Mandatory Tuberculosis
Education
Mrs. Kreisel MSN, RN
Adult Nursing 130
WHAT IS TB?
• TB is short for a disease called
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
How can TB spread?
• The TB bacteria are put into the air
(airborne) when a person with active
TB disease of the lungs or throat
coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings.
How to be exposed
• A person is considered to be exposed if there
is shared breathing space with someone with
infectious pulmonary or laryngeal tuberculosis
at a time when the infectious person is not
wearing a mask and the other person is not
wearing an N95 respirator.
What to do if I am exposed
• If you are exposed to someone with infectious
tuberculosis and have never had a positive reaction
to the tuberculin (TB) skin test, you should have a
baseline test within 3 months prior to the exposure
date. If you have not had a test result documented
within the past 3 months you should have one
placed as soon as possible after the exposure,
preferably within two weeks. This skin test should
be read in 48-72 hours. If it is negative, you should
repeat this process three months after the exposure.
Incubation Period
• From infection to development of a
positive TB skin test reaction (the
incubation period) is approximately 2
to 12 weeks. The risk for developing
active disease is the highest in the
first two years after infection and
development of a positive TB skin
test reaction.
What are the symptoms?
• Feeling weak, weight loss, fever,
night sweats, coughing, chest pain,
coughing up blood.
What to do if exposed
• Notify the charge nurse/Nurse
Manager ASAP (nursing instructor)
• Report to infection control
• Medical Follow up.
What do I do if I am exposed?
• Tell your charge nurse, and go to the
employee health nurse, or your
physician.
• They will do a mantoux test, and
decide if treatment is needed.
Latent TB
• Many times these people have no
symptoms.
• They may be treated to try to keep
them from developing the active
disease.
• They are not infectious unless the
disease becomes active in that
person.
What is latent TB?
• A person with latent TB has infection
dormant in their body, and are not
contagious unless the infection
becomes active in their body.
How do we test for TB?
• A skin test called a mantoux or PPD
test for Purified Protein Derivative.
• The person must return in 48-72
hours to have their skin site checked,
by someone with TB certification.
Positive Mantoux
• If a person has a positive mantoux or
PPD test they have a sputum test
and generally a chest x-ray to
confirm diagnosis.
• That person will then be put in
droplet isolation if in the hospital.
Treatment
• The treatment is several drugs that
the physician prescribes for 6-12
months.
• These drugs must be taken exactly
as directed.
• If the person stops taking the
medication without the physicians
approval, they may become sick
and/or develop TB.
How do I protect myself
• There are special masks that
healthcare personnel must be fitted
for to wear in the patients room.
• Healthcare personnel should wear
gowns and gloves in the room.
You Cannot get TB:
• Clothes
• Drinking glass
• Eating utensils
• Handshake
• Toilet
• Other surfaces