If an AIDS patient presents with leukopenia, what type of precautions will they be placed on?

In the case of an AIDS patient presenting with leukopenia, the correct type of precautions to implement is protective (reverse) isolation. This is crucial because leukopenia indicates a low white blood cell count, which compromises the patient's immune system, making them highly susceptible to infections.

Protective isolation is designed to protect the patient from potential pathogens in the environment, as their ability to fight off infections is significantly diminished. This type of isolation includes measures such as using gowns and masks for caregivers, restricting visitors, and ensuring a clean environment to minimize exposure to infectious agents.

Standard precautions, while important for all healthcare interactions, do not provide the additional level of protection necessary for severely immunocompromised patients. Contact precautions are aimed at preventing the spread of infections that can be transmitted through direct or indirect contact, which is not the main concern for a patient with leukopenia. Respiratory precautions focus specifically on protecting against airborne infections and are not sufficient alone for a patient with a critically low immune defense. Therefore, protective (reverse) isolation is the most appropriate choice in this scenario.