A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a newly licensed nurse who is caring for a client who has AIDS. The nurse should instruct the newly licensed nurse to clean spills of the client's blood with a solution of water and which of the following cleaning agents?

Choice A Reason:
Replace the unit when the drainage chamber is full is correct. Regularly emptying the drainage chamber when it becomes full is essential to ensure the drainage system functions properly and continues to effectively remove fluids or air from the chest cavity.

Choice B Reason:
Clamp the tube for 30 min every 8 hr. is incorrect.
Clamping a chest tube without a specific medical order or indication can lead to complications such as a buildup of pressure within the chest cavity or potential damage to the lungs. It's generally not a routine action to clamp the tube without proper instruction.

Choice C Reason:
Pin the tubing to the client's bed sheets is incorrect. Pinning the tubing to the bed sheets can cause tension on the chest tube, leading to accidental dislodgment or obstruction. The tubing should be secured but not pinned to prevent inadvertent movement.

Choice D Reason:
Monitor for at least 150 mL of drainage every hour is incorrect. There isn't a standard or prescribed amount of drainage that should occur hourly. The nurse should monitor the drainage rate and characteristics but shouldn't expect a specific volume within a set timeframe. Monitoring for excessive or decreased drainage and changes in characteristics is crucial, but an hourly volume expectation isn't appropriate.

Choice A Reason:

Measuring the client's intake and output every 8 hours is a general nursing intervention but might not be specifically pertinent to managing viral meningitis.

Choice B Reason:

Dim the lighting in the client's room is correct. Meningitis often causes sensitivity to light (photophobia) due to the inflammation of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Dimming the lighting in the client's room helps reduce discomfort and sensitivity to light, which is a common symptom of meningitis.

Choice C Reason:

Monitoring the client's temperature every 6 hours is a routine nursing practice, but in viral meningitis, more frequent temperature monitoring might be necessary, especially if the client shows signs of fever or instability.

Choice D Reason:

Initiating contact precautions for viral meningitis is not typically necessary because it's usually transmitted through respiratory secretions. Standard precautions for infection control, including proper hand hygiene, are usually sufficient.