Question

Nurses working in bed management are assigning clients from the emergency room to semiprivate rooms. Clients with which two diagnoses are appropriate to room together, based on safety and infection control standards?

A.) Reactive airway disease and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
B.) Clostridium difficile and diabetic ketoacidosis
C.) Tuberculosis and pneumonia
D.) Appendectomy and a draining leg ulcer positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Answer 1

Nurses in bed management should pair patients with non-contagious conditions; therefore, patients with reactive airway disease and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) can be roomed together, as these are chronic conditions without a contagious aspect.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of safety and infection control standards, nurses working in bed management should room patients together who have illnesses that are not likely to cause cross-infection. Considering the diagnoses presented, reactive airway disease and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) are appropriate to room together (Option A) since both conditions are chronic respiratory diseases without a contagious component like the conditions in the other options. In contrast, Clostridium difficile is highly infectious and requires isolation (Option B); tuberculosis is also highly contagious and requires respiratory isolation to prevent the spread (Option C); and a draining leg ulcer positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) represents a significant risk of cross-infection and requires contact precautions (Option D).