What is the difference between transmission-based precautions and standard precautions?

• A. Transmission-based precautions are additional measures for diseases with specific transmission routes beyond standard precautions.
• B. Standard precautions are more restrictive and cover airborne, droplet, contact.
• C. They are synonyms.
• D. Transmission-based precautions replace standard precautions.

Answer: (D)

Transmission-based precautions are additional measures used when a patient has or may have a contagious disease that spreads through a specific route. They’re layered on top of standard precautions, which are the baseline practices used for all patient care to prevent transmission from any patient.

Standard precautions are applied to every patient and include practices like proper hand hygiene, safe handling of needles and sharps, appropriate use of PPE based on anticipated exposure, and proper environmental cleaning. When a disease is known or suspected to spread by airborne, droplet, or contact routes, transmission-based precautions add targeted actions—such as extra PPE, patient isolation, and spatial separation—to block that particular route.

They do not replace standard precautions. Standard precautions remain in place for everyone, and the transmission-based measures augment them to address specific transmission risks.