What are the four categories of transmission-based precautions mentioned in the chapter?

The four categories of transmission-based precautions are airborne precautions, droplet precautions, contact precautions, and absolute (strict) isolation.

Transmission-based precautions are specific measures implemented to prevent the spread of infectious agents in healthcare settings. The four categories include: 1. **Airborne Precautions**: These are used to prevent diseases that are spread through the air by droplet nuclei, such as tuberculosis and measles. 2. **Droplet Precautions**: These precautions prevent the spread of diseases transmitted through large respiratory droplets, such as influenza and mumps. 3. **Contact Precautions**: These are used for infections spread by direct or indirect contact with the patient or their environment, such as MRSA and C. difficile. 4. **Absolute (Strict) Isolation**: This is required for highly virulent diseases where multiple transmission routes are possible, such as hemorrhagic fevers.