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Infection Control · single question

A patient with ACTIVE tuberculosis needs scaling. What is the appropriate management?

  1. Proceed with quaternary ammonium disinfection
  2. Defer treatment until the patient is deemed non-infectious by a physician
  3. Proceed with treatment using standard precautions
  4. Treat with N95 mask only
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Correct answer: B. Defer treatment until the patient is deemed non-infectious by a physician

  • A. Surface disinfection alone does not address airborne transmission of TB.
  • B. Correct. Patients with ACTIVE pulmonary TB are infectious and transmit M. tuberculosis by airborne droplet nuclei. Non-emergency dental treatment must be DEFERRED until the patient has been declared non-infectious by their physician (typically after 2–3 weeks of effective treatment).
  • C. Standard precautions are insufficient for active TB — airborne precautions are required.
  • D. N95 mask alone is not sufficient — the patient is infectious and must be excluded from the dental setting for non-emergency care.

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