[Preventing the transmission of tuberculosis in healthcare institutions]

The transmission of tuberculosis is human-to-human, mainly airborne through infected aerosols released by a contagious patient. HIV patients are at high risk of developing tuberculosis by reactivation of an old infection or through the rapid evolution of a recent infection acquired by contact with a contagious patient. The contagious patients are those with pulmonary or laryngeal tuberculosis. The risk of contagiousness must be considered high in the presence of BAAR on direct microscopic examination of sputum or gastric fluid, which proves a large inoculum. Respiratory precautions or respiratory isolation are easy to implement. They must be prescribed.