Animal Care and NursingDifficulty 2/5
Which practice best limits transmission when nursing a patient with suspected infectious diarrhoea?
- AUse standard precautions only, because most diarrhoea is non-infectious
- BHouse the patient in the main ward but at the far end of the run of cages
- CTreat the patient last on rounds, using dedicated barrier equipment and supplies
- DTreat the patient first so that the ward can be cleaned afterwards each day
Show answer and rationale
Correct: C. Barrier nursing with dedicated equipment and handling the isolated patient last in the rounds order limits transmission to other patients. Distance within a shared ward is not isolation.
- D — Treating first spreads pathogens to every patient handled afterwards.
- A — Suspected infectious diarrhoea warrants more than standard precautions.
- B — Sharing airspace and equipment in one ward is not isolation.