ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES Nursing Department ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES Nursing Department Mandatory Tuberculosis Education Mrs. Kreisel MSN, RNAdult Nursing 130

WHAT IS TB? TB is short for a disease called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

How can TB spread? 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 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 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