A nurse is preparing to administer oxygen to a client who has heart failure and is having severe difficulty breathing. Which of the following oxygen delivery equipment should the nurse select to provide the highest concentration of oxygen to the client?

The correct answer is Choice B.

Choice A rationale: Placing the client in a room with another client who has pharyngitis is not recommended. Pharyngitis can be caused by various different pathogens, not just streptococci. Co-housing clients with different infections can lead to cross-infection, complicating both clients’ conditions. Therefore, this choice is not the best option.

Choice B rationale: Ensuring that the client wears a surgical mask during transportation throughout the facility is the correct choice. Streptococcal infections are spread through respiratory droplets. A surgical mask can help prevent the spread of these droplets, protecting other clients and healthcare workers in the facility. This is a standard precaution in infection control.

Choice C rationale: Limiting the client’s visitors to visitations of 30 minutes is not necessarily beneficial. The duration of the visit does not significantly impact the risk of transmission as much as the precautions taken during the visit, such as hand hygiene and wearing a mask. Therefore, while limiting visitation time might reduce exposure, it is not the most effective measure to prevent the spread of infection.

Choice D rationale: Providing the client a room with negative pressure airflow of six air exchanges per hour is not necessary for a client with a streptococcal infection. Negative pressure rooms are typically used for clients with airborne diseases, such as tuberculosis. A streptococcal infection is spread through droplets, not airborne transmission, so a negative pressure room would not provide any additional benefit.

A. Restrict the client's visitors to the immediate family: While tuberculosis is a communicable disease, restricting visitors to the immediate family is not a standard precautionary measure. Visitors should be educated about infection control measures and individuals with active tuberculosis
may need to wear masks in certain situations.
B. Assign the client to a negative pressure airflow room: Correct. Clients with active tuberculosis should be placed in a negative pressure airflow room to prevent the spread of infectious airborne particles to other areas of the facility. Negative pressure ensures that air from the room does not flow to other parts of the facility.
C. Discard personal protective equipment outside the client's room: Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be removed and discarded according to facility policy, which often includes removing PPE inside the client's room and properly disposing of it afterward. The nurse should follow standard precautions for infection control.
D. Have the client wear a HEPA mask during transportation throughout the facility: While wearing a HEPA mask may be necessary for clients with tuberculosis, it is not related to the initial admission process. Clients with active tuberculosis may be asked to wear a HEPA mask during transportation when they need to leave their negative pressure room.