[Federal Register: December 6, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 233)]
[Notices]
[Page 70457-70458]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06de04-40]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Draft Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium
tuberculosis in Health-care Settings, 2005
AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice for public comment.
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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to request public comment on
draft Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium
tuberculosis in Health-care Settings, 2005 (Guidelines). These
Guidelines are available at the CDC Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/Federal_Register/default.htm
as a pdf file. The Guidelines
will be used by infection control staff, healthcare epidemiologists,
healthcare administrators, facility managers, and other persons
responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating infection-
control programs for healthcare settings across the continuum of
patient care. These Guidelines update the CDC Guidelines for Preventing
the Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health-care
Facilities and were last published in 1994.
The 2005 draft Guidelines reflect shifts in the epidemiology of
tuberculosis, advances in scientific understanding, and changes in
health-care practice that have occurred in the United States in the
last decade.
DATES: Comments on the draft Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission
of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health-care Settings, 2005, must be
received in writing on or before February 4, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the draft Guidelines should be labeled ``Public
comment on Draft Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health-care Settings, 2005,'' and
submitted by e-mail to TBinfectioncontrol@cdc.gov. Please include the
specific section, paragraph, and page number for each comment. If
unable to submit electronically, comments may be mailed to Public
Comment on Draft Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health-care Settings 2005, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination,
1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop E10, Atlanta, Georgia 30333. Comments
may also be faxed to 404-929-2676.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Lambert, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB
Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE., Mailstop E10, Atlanta, Georgia
30333. Telephone: (404) 639-8120. Email: TBinfectioncontrol@cdc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As stated above, the 2005 draft Guidelines
reflect shifts in the epidemiology of tuberculosis, advances in
scientific understanding, and changes in health-care practice that have
occurred in the United States in the last decade. In the context of
diminished risk of health-care-associated transmission of M.
tuberculosis, the 2005 Draft Guidelines places emphasis on actions
needed to maintain momentum and expertise needed to avert another
resurgence of tuberculosis and to eliminate the lingering threat to
healthcare workers, which is mainly from patients or others with
unsuspected and undiagnosed infectious tuberculosis disease. Whereas
previous Guidelines were aimed primarily at hospital-based facilities,
the 2005 CDC Guidelines have been expanded to address a broader
concept: health-care-associated settings go beyond the previously
defined facilities.
[[Page 70458]]
CDC expects to publish final Guidelines in 2005.
Dated: November 24, 2004.
James D. Seligman,
Associate Director for Program Services, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 04-26710 Filed 12-3-04; 8:45 am]
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