Comments on: Tip: Tuberculosis Testing?

By: Lori Mensing

Lori Mensing — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:03:47 +0000

On admission to an RCFE can a negative TB results from 8 months prior be used? Or would one have to have been given within the last 6 months?

By: Josh Allen, RN

Josh Allen, RN — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:32:19 +0000

Aidah… this blog post should help you with that:

http://www.careandcompliance.com/blog/continuing-education/tuesday-tip-annual-inservice-training-requirements_12-16-2008/

By: Aidah

Aidah — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:03:55 +0000

Can someone please give me a list of In services that are needed for staff yearly for an RCFE? Thank you so much! hope you all had a wonderful new year.

By: Josh Allen, RN

Josh Allen, RN — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:45:36 +0000

Aidah… RCFE regulations do not require the resident’s TB test be repeated unless the resident’s physician determines otherwise.

Bill… no, the volunteer you describe would not require a TB test. Regulation 87411 states: “A signed statement shall be obtained from each volunteer affirming that he/she is in good health.”

Kathleen… whether or not to repeat TB testing of employees is a tricky one in California. RCFE regulations do not require it, but the California Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) standard does in some situations. I have heard conflicting reports about whether the ATD regulations apply to an RCFE. CALA recently stated that in their interpretation it does not. You can review the ATD regulations here: http://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/5199.html

By: Kathleen Marek-King, RN

Kathleen Marek-King, RN — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:40:38 +0000

I am new at this administration role but I cannot find anything in Title 22 that says Caregivers/Nurses have to be retested once they are hired. As a nurse, I would say that if someone were exposed to someone with active TB that that would warrant periodic testing for a period.

TB is a reportable disease to the County Health department (619-515-6770) so I believe the physician there would guide you in treatment of staff member and or patient. Most people who develop active TB need to be hospitalzed for a period of time to be diagnosed and started on the antibiotics. I do not remember how long you must be on the TB drugs but in the “old days” a person needed to have a negative sputum test for AFB (acid fast bacillus)

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:57:58 +0000

In ref to TB test for volunteers, if a person is volunteering time to the facility,i.e.comes in to play the piano or other instrument for a short period of time, reads a story, calls Bingo, gives a church service, are they required to submit to a TB test? These volunteers come on a weekly basis but are supervised and have no other interaction with the residents Some are piano students accompanied by a parent. Others give a chair exercise class.

By: Aidah

Aidah — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:03:07 +0000

If a resident has been resided in your facility for a year and has already gotten a negative TB test, then gets on hospice care… do they need an updated TB test yearly?

How often do TB test need to be updated in an RCFE?

By: Cyndie Neotti

Cyndie Neotti — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 21:27:20 +0000

How often do caregivers working in a RCFE need to be re-tested for TB?:

By: Josh Allen, RN

Josh Allen, RN — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:40:40 +0000

Hello Terri. According to regulation 87458 the physician report (including TB test) must be made within the last year prior to admission.

By: Terri Nelson

Terri Nelson — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:38:25 +0000

How far in advance of admission to an RCFE can a new resident have a Tb test &/or CXR & still be valid per regs?
I thought it was 6mos for both, but there is some question on it. Thanks