For airborne precautions, what environment and PPE are required?

• A. Positive-pressure room and surgical mask
• B. Negative-pressure room and N95 respirator
• C. No special precautions
• D. Gloves and gown only

Answer: (B)

Airborne precautions target preventing inhalation of particles that can stay suspended in the air for long distances. To achieve this, care is given in a negative-pressure room, which continually pulls air into the room and exhausts it through filtration, keeping potentially contaminated air from escaping to other areas. Those caring for the patient protect themselves with a tightly fitted N95 respirator (fit-tested) whenever entering, because ordinary surgical masks do not reliably filter small aerosol particles. While gloves and gown address other transmission routes, they do not stop inhalation of airborne pathogens. A positive-pressure room would push air from outside into the patient area, increasing spread risk, and having no special precautions would leave aerosol transmission unaddressed.