TABLE 1.
Policy impact on release from the “airborne precautions” category for 42 patients with culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosisa
| Policy | No. (%) of patients under AP | No. (%) of patients not under APb | Increased risk (%) due to policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current (≥3 negative smears) | 37 (88) | 5 (12) | NA |
| Modification 1 (2 negative smears) | 37 (88) | 5 (12) | No change (0) |
| Modification 2 (1 negative smear) | 36 (85) | 6 (15) | 1 additional patient (3)c |
a
AP, airborne precautions; NA, not applicable.
b
Number of nontreated tuberculosis patients not under airborne precautions who could potentially transmit M. tuberculosis.
c
The smear-positive finding from this one patient was read as 1+, i.e., 3 to 9 AFB per slide.