A patient with cavitary tuberculosis should be placed on which type of precautions?

• A. Airborne precautions
• B. Droplet precautions
• C. Contact precautions
• D. Standard precautions

Answer: (A)

Cavitary tuberculosis releases a lot of tiny infectious particles into the air, which can linger and travel long distances when a person coughs or talks. Because these aerosolized particles are small, they can be inhaled by others even if they’re not in close contact, so preventing airborne spread requires isolation that controls and filters the air. Airborne precautions use a private negative-pressure room and airflow management, and health care workers enter wearing a properly fitted respirator (like an N95). The patient should wear a mask if leaving the room to reduce emission, and doors should stay closed to preserve the negative pressure.

Standard precautions won’t stop the transmission of these small particles, and droplet or contact precautions address larger droplets or direct skin/objec­t contact, which isn’t the primary risk with cavitary TB. Thus, airborne precautions are the most appropriate choice.