Level: Clinical
Difficulty: Medium
Subtopic: Older adult changes
NCLEX: A 78-year-old client in a long-term care facility is being evaluated for nursing care related to older adult chan…
Psychology / lifespan development Health Promotion and Maintenance
Case Study
A 78-year-old client in a long-term care facility is being evaluated for nursing care related to older adult changes. Assessment data include the client reports two falls this month and takes several sedating medications. Which infection-prevention action is essential?
Question
A. Wear gloves only and skip hand hygiene when leaving the room.
B. Use sterile technique for all routine hygiene regardless of diagnosis.
C. Skip precautions if the client has no fever.
D. Perform hand hygiene and apply the transmission-based precautions indicated by the client's diagnosis.
B. Use sterile technique for all routine hygiene regardless of diagnosis.
C. Skip precautions if the client has no fever.
D. Perform hand hygiene and apply the transmission-based precautions indicated by the client's diagnosis.
Rationale
Correct answer: D. Perform hand hygiene and apply the transmission-based precautions indicated by the client's diagnosis.
Rationale: Infection control matches the pathogen route: hand hygiene plus appropriate precautions for contact, droplet, or airborne transmission.
Hint: Apply ABCs, client stability, and NCSBN clinical judgment steps before choosing an intervention.
Rationale: Infection control matches the pathogen route: hand hygiene plus appropriate precautions for contact, droplet, or airborne transmission.
Hint: Apply ABCs, client stability, and NCSBN clinical judgment steps before choosing an intervention.