Stage 4 — Generate solutions. Symptomatic CDI is confirmed. Which infection-control and supportive-care actions should the nurse implement or coordinate now? Select all that apply.
Select All That Apply
Choose your responses, then check the answer.
Explanation
Four appropriate actions Correct choices are 2, 3, 5, and 6. CDC recommends a single room with dedicated toilet and equipment, gown and gloves, continued precautions for at least 48 hours after diarrhea resolves or longer, and daily plus terminal cleaning with an EPA List K sporicidal product. Wash with soap and water when spore contact is likely and reinforce it during outbreaks. Antimotility medication is not routine independent nursing treatment, and repeat testing is not used to end precautions or prove cure.
Step 1 — Break the transmission chain Room placement, dedicated toileting and equipment, gown and glove use, and correct PPE removal reduce fecal-spore spread.
Step 2 — Use an actual sporicidal product correctly Daily and terminal environmental cleaning should use an EPA List K product. The label's dilution, wet-contact time, surface compatibility, and safety directions matter; a fixed bleach dilution is not universal for every product.
Step 3 — Use hand hygiene with context Gloves remain essential because sanitizer does not kill C. difficile spores and handwashing alone may not remove every spore. CDC recommends soap and water when spore contact is likely and emphasizes it as an added precaution during outbreaks.
Step 4 — Avoid shortcuts Do not stop precautions at the first formed stool and do not order a test of cure. Do not independently give antimotility medication as routine CDI care.
NCLEX rule Select the complete isolation, PPE, equipment, cleaning, and contextual hand-hygiene bundle.
Scenario (Stage 4 — Generate solutions)The multistep stool algorithm confirms symptomatic CDI, and specific therapy has begun.
Clinical judgment targetApply CDC infection-control measures without relying on a universal bleach dilution, a test of cure, or an automatic medication prohibition.
EPA List K — EPA-registered antimicrobial products with demonstrated effectiveness against C. difficile spores when used according to label directions.
Contact-precaution duration — At least 48 hours after diarrhea resolves, or longer up to the duration of hospitalization according to facility policy and transmission risk.
Spore-aware hand hygiene — Glove use plus handwashing with soap and water after likely spore contact, with additional emphasis during CDI outbreaks.