A patient with a pending acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture is transferred from acute care to a long-term acute care (LTAC). In order to mitigate risk, what is the most important task the transferring facility must complete prior to transport?

• A. Initiate airborne isolation for the patient
• B. Notify receiving facility of the transfer and pending results
• C. Communicate that the patient has a pending test and appropriate isolation
• D. Defer all precautions until test results return

Answer: (C)

The main idea is ensuring safe transfer through clear handoff about infection risk and needed precautions when lab results are not yet back. A pending AFB culture means the patient could have a mycobacterial infection (like TB), so the receiving facility must know that a test is still pending and what isolation is currently in place. Communicating that a test is pending and that appropriate isolation is being used ensures the receiving team can continue or adjust precautions immediately, preventing potential exposure during transport and on arrival. Merely notifying that a transfer is occurring or that results are pending without confirming the isolation status leaves gaps in safety. Deferring precautions until results return is not acceptable because the risk could be real and exposure may occur.