A nurse in the Medical-Surgical unit is caring for a client who has had an allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant. Which of the following infection-control precautions should the nurse use while caring for this client?

Choice A rationale:

Veracity refers to truthfulness and honesty in communication between the healthcare provider and the client. It involves providing accurate information and not deceiving the client. Discontinuing the experimental medication due to kidney failure demonstrates a commitment to the truth, but the primary ethical principle demonstrated here is nonmaleficence.

Choice B rationale:

Autonomy refers to respecting the client's right to make their own decisions about their healthcare. In this scenario, the medication was discontinued due to evidence of harm to the client's health. This action prioritizes the client's well-being over their autonomy to continue the treatment.

Choice C rationale:

Nonmaleficence, or the principle of "do no harm," is demonstrated in this scenario. The experimental medication was discontinued because it was causing rapidly advancing kidney failure. The healthcare provider's decision to stop the treatment is an example of prioritizing the client's safety and well-being by preventing further harm.

Choice D rationale:

Fidelity refers to being loyal, keeping promises, and maintaining trust in the nurse-client relationship. While this principle is important, it doesn't directly apply to the situation described, where the focus is on the ethical responsibility to prevent harm.

Choice A rationale:

Asthma - Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by bronchoconstriction, inflammation, and increased mucus production. It does not typically present with absent breath sounds, deviation of the trachea, or hyperresonant percussion sounds. Wheezing is a common finding in asthma.

Choice B rationale:

Pneumothorax - This is the correct choice. The scenario describes classic signs of a tension pneumothorax, which is a medical emergency. The tracheal deviation, absence of breath sounds, and hyperresonant percussion note on the affected side are indicative of air accumulation in the pleural space, leading to lung collapse and displacement of mediastinal structures.

Choice C rationale:

Atelectasis - Atelectasis refers to the collapse or incomplete expansion of a lung or part of a lung. It can lead to decreased breath sounds on auscultation but does not usually cause tracheal deviation or hyperresonance on percussion. It is not the best fit for the described signs.

Choice D rationale:

Pneumonia - Pneumonia is an infection of the lung tissue that can cause symptoms like fever, cough, and productive sputum. Breath sounds may be diminished over the affected area due to consolidation, but the absence of breath sounds, tracheal deviation, and hyperresonance point more strongly toward a pneumothorax in this case.