Airborne Precautions are Required for:
1.	A patient with a positive sputum smear for mycobacteria (unless the patient is documented to have an atypical mycobacterial pulmonary infection, confirmed by previous laboratory testing and accompanied by an attending physician's note).
2.	A patient with a chest x-ray with the classic findings of MTB (e.g. upper lobe infiltrate or infiltrate in any lobe with cavities).
3.	A patient with the combination of 3A AND 3B AND any other risk factor in 3C OR as indicated in 3D alone. A. patient with a cough > 2 weeks   AND B. with an infiltrate on chest x-ray   AND C. any one of the following: 1. known recent exposure to MTB 2. known history of MTB or +PPD 3. known or suspected immunosuppressive state (HIV+, immunosuppressive therapy, transplant patient) 4. alcohol abuse or injection drug use 5. past or current homelessness or incarceration 6. born in a region of the world where MTB is highly prevalent (Africa, Asia-Pacific Islands, South or Central America, Eastern Europe) 7. history of fever and weight loss and night sweats   OR D. An immunosuppressed patient (i.e. HIV+, transplant patient, etc.) with undiagnosed pulmonary disease who does not meet the criteria in 3A and/or 3B but whose attending physician or designee believes Airborne Precautions would be prudent until the pulmonary process is clarified. A signed attending physician note should accompany such use of Airborne Precautions.
4.	A patient with a positive sputum smear and/or culture for mycobacteria (unless the patient is documented to have an atypical mycobacterial pulmonary infection, confirmed by previous laboratory testing and accompanied by an attending physician's note).

All patients with a history or clinical suspicion of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) must be placed on Airborne Precautions until their current status is confirmed by clinical review and testing.

*EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE MAY BE MADE IF:
The medical record contains a signed attending physician note indicating a confirmed or strongly suspected alternative diagnosis and a discussion explaining the features above that make the use of Airborne Precautions unnecessary.

ANY UNCERTAINTY OR DISAGREEMENT AMONG THE CLINICAL STAFF CONCERNING THE APPROPRIATE PLACEMENT OR USE OF AIRBORNE PRECAUTIONS OR ANY OTHER ISOLATION PRECAUTIONS FOR A PATIENT AT YNHH DEMANDS AN IMMEDIATE CONSULTATION WITH HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY. HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND THE INFECTION CONTROL COMMITTEE HAVE FINAL AUTHORITY IN THESE MATTERS.