Which of the following illnesses requires airborne precautions?

a. Measles c. Herpes simplex vi-rus
b. Clostridium difficile d. Mycoplasma pneu-moniae

ANS: A
Airborne precautions should be used for patients who are known to have or who are suspected of having illnesses transmitted by airborne droplet nuclei, such as measles, varicella, or tuberculosis. Clostridium difficile and the herpes simplex virus require contact isolation, because they are transmitted by direct patient contact or by contact with items in the patient's environment. My-coplasma pneumoniae requires droplet precautions because it is spread by droplet transmission.