What type of precautions should be observed when caring for a patient with MRSA?

• A. Airborne precautions
• B. Contact precautions
• C. Droplet precautions
• D. No precautions necessary

Answer: (B)

MRSA spreads mainly by direct contact with an infected wound or with surfaces the bacteria have contaminated. Because the main route is touch, the precautions focus on preventing contact transmission. This means wearing gloves and a gown when caring for the patient, performing thorough hand hygiene before and after any patient interaction, and using dedicated or properly cleaned equipment and a private room when possible. Airborne precautions target transmission through inhaled aerosols and require negative-pressure rooms and respirators, while droplet precautions protect against large respiratory droplets—neither of which are the primary MRSA routes in typical care. No precautions is not appropriate because MRSA can spread via contact, so this approach minimizes that risk.