Which actions are recommended for a patient with suspected airborne infection?

• A. Place the patient in a standard room and monitor vital signs.
• B. Isolate the patient, apply airborne precautions, use N95 respirator, and notify infection control.
• C. Use only contact precautions and delay isolation.
• D. Remove isolation and proceed with routine care.

Answer: (B)

Airborne infections spread through tiny particles that can linger in the air and be inhaled by others, so protecting people in the environment requires more than routine care. The best approach is to isolate the patient and implement airborne precautions, which means using an appropriate respirator and alerting infection-control staff. Specifically, anyone entering the room should wear an N95 or equivalent respirator to prevent inhalation of infectious particles, and the infection-control team should be notified to coordinate additional measures like room ventilation and monitoring. This combination directly interrupts the main transmission route and enables the facility to take further protective steps.

Standard room placement with vital-sign monitoring does not stop airborne spread, and relying on contact precautions alone ignores the airborne route. Removing isolation and continuing routine care similarly fails to protect others from airborne exposure.