What are the three main types of transmission-based precautions?

The three main types of transmission-based precautions are designed to prevent the spread of infectious agents in healthcare settings. The correct answer lists contact, droplet, and airborne precautions, which represent distinct methods of disease transmission.

Contact precautions are implemented to prevent the transmission of pathogens that spread through direct or indirect contact with a patient or their environment. This includes measures such as wearing gloves and gowns when interacting with patients diagnosed with infections that can easily spread, such as MRSA or C. difficile.

Droplet precautions are necessary when dealing with diseases that can be transmitted through respiratory droplets produced when a patient coughs, sneezes, or talks. This type of precaution includes wearing masks and ensuring that patients maintain a certain distance from others to minimize exposure.

Airborne precautions are crucial for infections that can be transmitted through smaller droplets that remain suspended in the air for extended periods. This requires specialized ventilation systems and guidelines, including the use of N95 respirators or higher-level masks when interacting with patients who have diseases like tuberculosis or measles.

The other choices present variations that do not align with established categories of transmission-based precautions, such as including surface or food precautions, which are not recognized as main categories in infection control protocols.