A nurse at an extended-care facility is instructing a class of assistive personnel (AP) about the use of assistive devices during client ambulation.
Which of the following instructions should the nurse include about assisting clients who use a cane?

Choice A rationale
A client who has community-acquired pneumonia with copious respiratory secretions should be assigned to the private room. This is because pneumonia, especially with copious respiratory secretions, can be transmitted through the air, and therefore requires airborne precautions.
Choice B rationale
A client who has AIDS and is coughing up blood may not necessarily require a private room for airborne precautions. While AIDS is a serious condition, it is not primarily transmitted through the air. Instead, it is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, particularly blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk.
Choice C rationale
A client who has Guillain-Barré syndrome and is on a ventilator would not necessarily require a private room for airborne precautions. Guillain-Barré syndrome is a neurological disorder, not an infectious disease, and it is not transmitted from person to person.
Choice D rationale

A client who has bronchitis and a tracheostomy may not necessarily require a private room for airborne precautions. While bronchitis can be caused by an infection, it is typically transmitted through direct contact or droplet transmission, not through the air.

Choice A rationale
Using a humidifier beside the bed at night may not necessarily decrease the number of apneic episodes in a client with obstructive sleep apnea. While a humidifier can help moisten the airways and may provide some relief from symptoms such as dry mouth or throat, it does not address the underlying issue of airway obstruction.
Choice B rationale
Losing weight can indeed help decrease the number of apneic episodes in a client with obstructive sleep apnea. Obesity is a major risk factor for sleep apnea, as excess fat tissue can thicken the wall of the windpipe, making it narrower and making it harder to keep open.
Therefore, losing weight can help reduce this fat and widen the airway, leading to fewer apneic episodes.
Choice C rationale
Taking a sleeping pill at night may actually worsen obstructive sleep apnea. While it might help the client fall asleep, it can also relax the muscles of the throat, which can make the airway more likely to collapse during sleep, leading to more apneic episodes.

Choice D rationale
Drinking a glass of red wine before bedtime is not recommended for a client with obstructive sleep apnea. Alcohol can relax the muscles in the throat and can disrupt the normal sleep cycle, both of which can lead to more apneic episodes.