Question

A client with cancer has been having severe diarrhea and tested positive for clostridium difficile. Which infection-control measure should the nurse take? ? A. Continue to follow standard precautions ? B. Prepare to place the client on contact precautions ? C. Contact environmental services to mop the floor ? D. Use hand hygiene prior to client contact

Short answer

Answer: The most appropriate infection-control measure in this situation is to prepare to place the client on contact precautions. This provides an additional level of protection beyond standard precautions to prevent the infection's transmission to other patients or healthcare providers since Clostridium difficile infection can spread through direct or indirect contact.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the Choices

First, we need to understand what each choice entails: A. Standard precautions are the minimum infection control practices that healthcare providers should follow when dealing with all patients, regardless of their infection status. B. Contact precautions are additional infection control measures taken when dealing with patients who have an infection that can spread through direct or indirect contact with the patient or their environment. C. Contacting environmental services to mop the floor is a cleaning procedure that may or may not be part of the necessary infection control measures. D. Hand hygiene is a basic infection control practice and is always essential before and after contacting any patient.

Analyzing the Situation

Given the situation, we're dealing with a cancer client who has severe diarrhea and tested positive for Clostridium difficile. This means that the infection can spread through direct or indirect contact, and the nurse should implement additional infection control measures.

Selecting the Appropriate Measure

Based on the analysis in Step 2, the most appropriate infection-control measure is one that takes into account the specifics of the situation. In this case, the answer is: B. Prepare to place the client on contact precautions

Explaining the Chosen Measure

The reason behind choosing 'contact precautions' is that it provides an additional level of protection beyond standard precautions. Since the client has cancer and Clostridium difficile infection, which could spread through contact, it's essential to follow contact precautions to prevent the infection's transmission to other patients or healthcare providers.