Tuberculosis infection control practices in healthcare settings.

The multiple tuberculosis outbreaks in 1980s and early 1990s found lapses in administrative, environmental and respiratory control measures. Guidelines and regulations were formulated for safe TB control measures. The guidelines were designed to provide up-to-date information about methods of reducing the risk of air-borne infections in healthcare facilities. A useful concept in these guidelines is three levels of control measures ordered according to their importance and priority for implementation ie, administrative controls, environmental controls and personal respiratory protection for healthcare workers who are exposed to TB in patient care. Standard precautions are there combining major features of universal precautions, body substance isolation and air-borne precautions. In this article, the precautions as envisaged are narrated.