Which PPE is required for airborne precautions during transport?

Which PPE is required for airborne precautions during transport?

• A. Airborne: surgical mask only
• B. Droplet: N95
• C. Contact: gloves and gown
• D. Airborne: N95 respirator and possibly negative-pressure isolation; Droplet: surgical mask with eye protection; Contact: gloves and gown

Answer: (D)

The main idea is matching PPE to how a disease spreads, especially when moving a patient between locations. For airborne pathogens, protection must stop tiny aerosols from reaching the wearer. An N95 respirator provides filtration for those aerosols, and using a negative-pressure isolation setup when possible helps keep contaminated air from escaping the transport area. Eye protection is important too, since aerosols can contact the mucous membranes of the eyes. Gloves and a gown round out the protection to prevent skin and clothing contamination from touching contaminated surfaces.

For diseases spread by larger respiratory droplets, a surgical mask with eye protection protects against those bigger droplets that travel a short distance, and a different level of protection is not always required once the airborne precautions are in place. And for contact transmission, gloves and a gown are the key barriers to prevent skin and clothing contact with contaminated surfaces.

Putting these together gives a comprehensive PPE approach for transport that addresses all routes of possible exposure: airborne protection with an N95 (and consider negative-pressure conditions), droplet protection with a surgical mask and eye protection, and contact protection with gloves and gown. That combination is why this answer is the best choice.