Are airborne precautions equivalent to standard precautions?

Airborne precautions are not equivalent to standard precautions because they specifically address different modes of transmission of infections. Standard precautions are a set of infection control practices designed to prevent the transmission of diseases that can be spread by contact with bodily fluids—like blood, saliva, urine, and other secretions, regardless of whether or not the infected person is known to have an illness. They are the baseline practices that healthcare workers should follow at all times.

In contrast, airborne precautions are implemented for diseases that can be transmitted through the air via respiratory droplets that remain suspended in the air for extended periods. Conditions such as tuberculosis, measles, and chickenpox require airborne precautions due to their method of spread, which necessitates additional protective measures such as the use of specialized masks (like N95 respirators) and isolation in a negative pressure room.

This distinction highlights the essential differences between the two sets of precautions: standard precautions apply universally to all patients, while airborne precautions are specific to certain contagious diseases. Because of these unique attributes, the answer clearly indicates that the two are different.