Healthcare workers who encounter patients with tuberculosis must wear what type of protection?

Healthcare workers who encounter patients with tuberculosis must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) as this is critical in preventing the transmission of the infection. Tuberculosis is an airborne disease, meaning that the bacteria can be inhaled, making it essential to have a comprehensive protective strategy.

PPE encompasses a range of protective gear, including respiratory protection like N95 respirators or powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), which are specifically designed to filter out airborne particles. This level of respiratory protection is necessary to safeguard the healthcare worker from inhaling infectious particles released into the air when a patient coughs or sneezes.

While gloves, aprons, and face masks are also important components of infection control in various situations, they do not provide the same level of protection against airborne pathogens as a full PPE ensemble. Gloves and aprons mainly protect against direct contact with bodily fluids, but do not address respiratory exposure, which is the primary concern with tuberculosis. Standard face masks are not sufficient as they do not filter out small infectious particles effectively; hence, specific respiratory protection is essential for safety in these situations.