Saunders Respiratory Practice

What factor is important for minimizing the risk of tuberculosis transmission in healthcare settings?

1. Minimizing patient movement around the facility

2. Using handheld fans to improve air circulation

3. Maintaining adequate air exchanges and ventilation

4. Ensuring all staff wear standard surgical masks

The correct answer is: Maintaining adequate air exchanges and ventilation

Maintaining adequate air exchanges and ventilation is a crucial factor in minimizing the risk of tuberculosis transmission in healthcare settings. Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne infectious disease, and it can spread through aerosols generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Proper ventilation helps to dilute and remove these infectious aerosols from the air, thereby reducing the concentration of TB bacteria in the environment. Adequate air exchanges ensure that contaminated air is replaced with fresh air, reducing the likelihood of transmission to staff and patients. This can involve strategies such as using HEPA filters, ensuring that rooms where TB patients are treated have negative air pressure, and designing healthcare facilities to promote airflow. While minimizing patient movement, using handheld fans, and requiring surgical masks can contribute to infection control measures, they do not address the primary mechanism of tuberculosis transmission as effectively as proper ventilation and air exchange do. These other measures may help reduce potential exposure in certain situations, but they do not replace the necessity of a well-ventilated environment in preventing airborne diseases like tuberculosis.