What type of isolation precautions are required for patients with tuberculosis?

The reason airborne precautions are required for patients with tuberculosis (TB) is that TB is primarily transmitted through the air via small respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. These droplets can remain suspended in the air for extended periods and can be inhaled by individuals nearby, which is why special measures are in place to prevent the spread of the infection.

Airborne precautions include placing the patient in a negative pressure room, which helps prevent the escape of infectious particles into other areas. Healthcare workers and visitors must wear N95 respirators or higher-level protection when entering the room to safeguard themselves against inhaling the infectious droplets.

In contrast, the other options involve different modes of transmission not applicable to TB. Contact precautions are generally used for infections that spread through direct contact, droplet precautions are more suited for infections that are transmitted through larger respiratory droplets, and protective isolation is used to protect immunocompromised patients from infectious agents, rather than to contain the spread of a specific infection like TB.