Final answer:
The patient with symptoms of cough, weight loss, night sweats, and bloody sputum should be placed under airborne precautions and evaluated for infectious conditions such as tuberculosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The symptoms presented by the new admission, including cough, unintentional weight loss, frequent night sweats, and bloody sputum, are indicative of an infectious process such as tuberculosis (TB). As per standard hospital protocol and the CDC guidelines, it is critical to initiate airborne precautions immediately to prevent the spread of possible TB or another airborne infection. This includes placing the patient in a negative-pressure room and using personal protective equipment such as an N95 respirator for healthcare workers entering the room.
Airborne diseases can be highly contagious and severe. Therefore, implementing the appropriate isolation precautions swiftly is essential until a definitive diagnosis is made. Given the global travel history or potential exposure in the cases mentioned, these patients are at higher risk, and a thorough diagnostic workup, including chest radiography and sputum cultures, should be performed.