Which precaution is recommended for patients with active TB?

• A. Standard precautions only.
• B. Contact isolation and airborne precautions.
• C. Airborne isolation and limiting public exposure.
• D. No special precautions are needed.

Answer: (C)

TB spreads through airborne droplet nuclei that can stay suspended in the air and travel beyond close contact. Because of this, preventing transmission requires airborne precautions: place the patient in a negative-pressure room with appropriate air changes, keep the door closed, and ensure staff use an N95 respirator (or higher) when entering. If the patient leaves the room, they should wear a mask to limit dispersion. Limiting public exposure addresses spread outside the immediate setting, reducing risk to others in the community. Standard precautions alone don’t prevent airborne transmission, and contact precautions don’t cover the airborne route, so no special precautions would leave others at risk.