Healthcare employers and employees in outpatient settings should be aware of the risk of tuberculosis among their patient population and should develop, implement, and monitor infection control procedures.
	Patients felt at risk for contracting tuberculosis should have tuberculin skin testing perfomed. Screening for Tuberculosis Infection in High-Risk Populations
	Ambulatory patients who have pulmonary symptoms of uncertain etiology should wear a N-95 respirator while in common areas. Such patients should spend a minimum of time in common waiting areas and should be instructed to cover their mouths and noses when coughing/sneezing.
	The patient should be moved to a negative pressure room if possible for isolation. If a negative pressure room is not available, the patient should be placed in a room with the door shut.
	Personnel working in ambulatory service clinics should be trained to recognize and bring to the attention of the appropriate clinician any patient with symptoms suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis (e.g. cough of greater than 2 weeks duration in association with fever, weight loss, and night sweats).
	Ventilation in waiting areas should be maintained to reduce the risk of tuberculosis transmission, especially if immunosuppressed patients are treated in the same or nearby area. Air from clinics serving patients at risk should not be recirculated unless it is first passed through a HEPA filtration system.
	Any clinic which expects to encounter patients at risk for tuberculosis should have access to properly ventilated, negative pressure respiratory isolation room. Location of outpatient YNHH negative pressure rooms
	In outpatient areas where cough-inducing procedures are carried out, procedure-specific Airborne Precautions should be implemented. Click here for: Procedure-specific Precautions for Patients with Known or Suspected Active Tuberculosis