An hour after a left thoracotomy, a patient reports incisional pain at a level 7 (based on 0 to 10 scale) and has decreased left-sided breath sounds. The pleural drainage system has 100 mL of bloody drainage. Which action would the nurse take?

Choice A reason: Mantoux induration of 10 mm indicates TB exposure, not active infection status. It’s a diagnostic tool, not a marker for contagiousness, so it doesn’t guide discontinuation of airborne precautions in treatment.

Choice B reason: Six months of TB meds suggests treatment progress, but contagiousness persists until sputum clears. Duration alone isn’t enough; microbiologic evidence is required to lift precautions, per infection control standards.

Choice C reason: Negative sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli (three consecutive) confirm non-infectiousness in TB. This microbiological clearance allows discontinuation of airborne precautions, as the patient no longer spreads viable bacteria via droplets.

Choice D reason: Clear x-ray (no infiltrates) shows healing, but sputum can remain infectious. Radiologic improvement lags behind contagiousness, so negative smears, not imaging, determine when precautions can safely end.

Choice A reason: Hospitalized patients often have immobility, surgery, or illness, increasing VTE risk via stasis, vessel injury, and hypercoagulability (Virchow’s triad). Studies show up to 60% of VTE cases occur in this setting, confirming the statement.

Choice B reason: False implies low VTE risk in hospitals, contradicting evidence. Inactivity and acute conditions elevate risk significantly, with prophylaxis standard in guidelines, as immobility alone triples clot formation likelihood.