A new admission presents with a cough, unintentional weight loss, night sweats, and bloody sputum. What type of isolation precautions should be initiated?

The presentation of symptoms including a cough, unintentional weight loss, night sweats, and bloody sputum raises concern for an airborne-transmissible disease, particularly tuberculosis (TB). Airborne precautions are necessary in this case to prevent the transmission of pathogens that can be spread through the air, especially during breathing, coughing, or sneezing.

Airborne precautions involve using a specialized mask for the healthcare worker (such as an N95 respirator) and placing the patient in a negative pressure room if available. This helps ensure that any infectious particles that may be suspended in the air are contained and do not pose a risk to other patients and healthcare staff outside the isolation room.

Although contact and droplet precautions are also important in other contexts, they are not primarily indicated for symptoms associated with airborne pathogens like TB. Standard precautions are always applied but are insufficient on their own given the risk factors involved in this scenario. Initiating airborne precautions is essential to effectively mitigate the risk of the potential for airborne transmission in the healthcare setting.