Scenario:
You work in hospital epidemiology or infection prevention at a hospital in downtown Los Angeles. The emergency room at your hospital is chronically overcrowded, and patients often sit on gurneys in the hallways until a bed is available.
You just learned that a patient who has tuberculosis has been in the ER for the last four hours rather than in an isolation room, and he has been in the hallway violently coughing.
- What immediate steps should you take to prevent tuberculosis becoming an HAI at your facility?
- What could be done in the future to prevent this situation from occurring?
- What other information would be helpful as you make decisions in this scenario?
- Respond to at least two (2) of your classmates’ or your instructor’s posts. Your responses should include elements such as follow-up questions, a further exploration of topics from the initial post, or requests for further clarification or explanation on some points made.