Airborne precautions are used for patients known or suspected to be infected with pathogens transmitted by?

• A. Airborne Droplet Nuclei
• B. Direct Contact
• C. Large Droplets
• D. Standard Precautions

Answer: (A)

Airborne precautions are used for pathogens transmitted by airborne droplet nuclei—tiny particles that can stay suspended in the air for long periods and travel on air currents beyond the patient’s immediate vicinity. Because these particles can be inhaled by people who are not in direct contact with the patient, special measures are needed: a negative-pressure room and a properly fitted respirator (like an N95) for staff.

This is different from large droplets, which travel only short distances and fall to nearby surfaces; those require droplet precautions and typically a surgical mask within a close range of the patient. Direct contact precautions address transmission through skin-to-skin or contaminated surfaces, not through the air. Standard precautions are the baseline practices used with all patients to prevent spread of infections.

Examples of diseases that commonly require airborne precautions include tuberculosis, measles, and varicella (chickenpox).