Isolation Precautions Comparison: Airborne vs Droplet vs Contact
Choosing a surgical mask when the patient has TB means you just exposed yourself to airborne tuberculosis. The wrong mask, wrong room, or wrong gown decision appears repeatedly on the NCLEX — and each precaution type has a distinct PPE and room requirement that you must match instantly.
Master this comparison — play it or drill it.
Practice 36 NCLEX-style questions
Practice nowComparison
- Aerosol nuclei < 5 µm
- Stay suspended, travel far
- Large droplets ≥ 5 µm
- Travel ≤ 6 ft (cough, sneeze)
- Touch: skin or contaminated surfaces
- ★N95 respirator (fit-tested)
- Surgical mask on room entry
- Gown + gloves on room entry
- ★Negative-pressure AIIR
- Door kept closed
- Private room
- Private room
- May cohort same organism
- Private room
- May cohort same organism
- Patient wears surgical mask
- Patient wears surgical mask
- Cover infected area
- Disinfect equipment after use
- TB, measles, varicella, disseminated zoster
- Influenza, pertussis, meningococcus, mumps
- MRSA, VRE, C. diff, RSV, scabies
- Verify N95 fit-test
- Check negative pressure daily
- Surgical mask suffices; N95 not needed
- ★Soap & water for C. diff spores
Airborne
- Aerosol nuclei < 5 µm
- Stay suspended, travel far
Droplet
- Large droplets ≥ 5 µm
- Travel ≤ 6 ft (cough, sneeze)
Airborne
- ★N95 respirator (fit-tested)
Droplet
- Surgical mask on room entry
Airborne
- ★Negative-pressure AIIR
- Door kept closed
- Private room
Droplet
- Private room
- May cohort same organism
Airborne
- Patient wears surgical mask
Droplet
- Patient wears surgical mask
Airborne
- TB, measles, varicella, disseminated zoster
Droplet
- Influenza, pertussis, meningococcus, mumps
Airborne
- Verify N95 fit-test
- Check negative pressure daily
Droplet
- Surgical mask suffices; N95 not needed
★ marks the fact that sets a column apart.
Tap the column each item belongs to — jump in and play, or just watch it run.
Play full screen for XPClinical Pearl
"My Chicken Hez TB" = Airborne → Measles, Chickenpox, Herpes zoster (disseminated), TB — N95 + negative pressure.
Component Topics
Ready to master this comparison?
Get a personalized study plan built around this topic — free to try, no card needed.
Go further
- GuideIsolation Precautions: Airborne, Droplet, and Contact Made EasyLearn the transmission mechanism behind contact, droplet, and airborne precautions, then derive the room and PPE instead of memorizing disconnected disease lists.
- TopicAirborne PrecautionsA surgical mask stops droplets, but tuberculosis particles float in the air for hours — if you walk into that room without the right respirator, standard PPE won't save you.
- TopicContact PrecautionsMRSA, C. diff, and scabies all spread by touch — but the PPE and room setup differ from other transmission-based precautions in ways the NCLEX loves to test.
- Guide4,852 Measles Cases, and the US Could Lose Its Elimination StatusCDC's 2026 measles count has more than doubled 2025's total, with a PAHO review due this month. What nurses do first: mask, isolate, N95, even if immune.