NCJ Number
200897
Date Published
May 2003
Length
306 pages
Annotation
This document, and its accompanying CD-ROM, outlines a tuberculosis infection control plan for jails in California.
Abstract
The infection control plan outlined here has four main goals: (1) to facilitate the development of facility-specific infection control plans in jails; (2) to facilitate the implementation of these plans by providing models of procedures and tools; (3) to promote communication and cooperation among jails and public health departments; and (4) to educate those responsible for the development of the infection control plans. The document explains that controlling the exposure to persons with tuberculosis requires a three-level hierarchy of controls at the administrative level, the environmental level, and the personal level. The document and the CD-ROM provide a template for the control of tuberculosis on these three levels, which may be used in jails across California. Detailed instructions on how to use the jail template are provided, as is information about tuberculosis and how it is spread. Helpful forms, such as the Implementation Tracking Sheet, are provided to make development and implementation of an infection control plan easier to accomplish. Step by step instructions on developing the plan and implementing it are outlined. The bulk of the document presents 20 policies and procedures that are an essential component to the tuberculosis control template. The policies and procedures include assessing the tuberculosis risk in local jails, screening staff for the disease, training staff, keeping updated staff tuberculosis records, screening inmates, masking inmates, and transporting infected inmates. A list of resources that support the local implementation of infection control plans in jail is provided, including organization lists and performance and learning resources. A directory and file list for the accompanying CD-ROM is included.