Devices for the prevention of TB transmission. Considerations for proper application.

Healthcare facilities throughout the country are confronted with the task of preventing the transmission of tuberculosis among their patients and staff. On October 12, 1993, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the Draft Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Tuberculosis in Health Care Facilities, and this is scheduled for final publication before year's end. The pending CDC guidelines are comprehensive and include engineering recommendations which are applicable to all settings in which health care is provided. Facilities that do not intend to use conventional construction or renovation to accomplish TB guideline compliance may consider using some type of environmental control device. These devices typically utilize ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) and/or high efficiency particulate air filtration (HEPA), each of which is recognized as a viable TB environmental control. TB environmental control measures for specific areas within a healthcare facility should be based on a careful assessment of the actual risk of TB transmission in that setting.