N.J. Admin. Code § 8:57-5.7

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 8:57-5.7 - Notification of precautions to protect the public health

(a) The public health nurse case manager or designee within the health jurisdiction of residence of any patient with a sputum smear positive for AFB or cavitary lesions on chest radiograph or computed tomography scan with respiratory symptoms shall notify the patient verbally and in writing of the infection control measures required to protect the public health within three working days of the receipt of an initial TB-70 form.

(b) If the patient described in (a) above is hospitalized outside the health jurisdiction of his or her residence, the public health nurse case manager or designee in the health jurisdiction where the patient is hospitalized shall deliver the notification as set forth in (a) above within three working days of being informed of the patient's presence in the facility, regardless of patient's health jurisdiction of residence.

(c) The notification described in (a) and (b) above shall list all infection control measures applicable to the patient, and shall request the patient to observe these infection control measures until no longer necessary to protect the public health.

1. Infection control measures shall no longer be required when a person with sputum smear(s) reported positive for AFB initially has:

i. Three sputum smears reported negative for AFB collected at least eight hours apart;

ii. A nucleic acid amplification test negative for M. tuberculosis;

iii. At least one sputum culture reported negative for M. tuberculosis; or

iv. TB is ruled out as a cause of disease by a health care provider; or

2. Infection control measures shall no longer be required in the case where no sputum was collected or all sputum smears were reported by a laboratory as negative for AFB, but the patient had cavitary lesions on chest radiograph or computed tomography scan with respiratory symptoms if:

i. The patient has taken at least two weeks of appropriate treatment and no respiratory symptoms are observed; or

ii. TB has been ruled out as a cause of disease by a health care provider.

(d) The public health nurse case manager in the patient's health jurisdiction of residence shall inform the patient previously required to comply with infection control measures within one business day of when infection control measures are no longer required.

(e) The health officer or designee in the patient's health jurisdiction of residence shall serve the patient required to comply with infection control measures with either a health officer order for isolation established at 8:57-5.11, or health officer order for temporary commitment established at 8:57-5.12, whichever is necessary to protect the public health within one business day of any refusal to comply with or violation of infection control measures.

1. The health officer or designee in any health jurisdiction shall serve a health officer order as described in (e) above if the patient required to comply with infection control measures is located in his or her health jurisdiction.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:57-5.7

New Rule, R.2009 d.107, effective 4/6/2009.
See: 40 N.J.R. 1962(a), 41 N.J.R. 1419(a).
Former N.J.A.C. 8:57-5.7, Grounds for commitment, recodified to N.J.A.C. 8:57-5.13.

The adopted version of this section 56 N.J.R. 213(a), effective 1/3/2024 is not yet available