Special report. The new TB epidemic hits hospitals: causes, transmission, precautions

Once considered a disease of the past, tuberculosis (TB) is spreading rapidly throughout the United States, with a particular concentration in hospitals located in major urban centers. Of special concern to health care professionals are the growing number of cases of employees and patients who have become infected with hospital-based TB in the last year. Even more alarming is the appearance of a new, deadly, multidrug-resistant (MDR) strain of the disease. In this report, directed at hospital safety and risk managers, we will cover how tuberculosis is spread throughout hospitals; who is susceptible; and what infection control procedures, safety equipment, and inservice education are recommended by experts. We'll also detail the infection control methods in use at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver, CO--the hospital considered to have the highest standard in the nation of tuberculosis treatment and control.