The nurse advises that, to reduce the risk of giving a cold to another, one should: (Select 3 correct answers)

A. “The client needs immediate intubation and mechanical ventilation.”Intubation may be required in severe respiratory failure, but not all clients with pulmonary embolism need mechanical ventilation. Suggesting intubation without assessment of the client’s respiratory effort or ABGs is premature.

B. "Maybe the client has respiratory distress syndrome."ARDS is can impair oxygenation, but it is not the most likely explanation for persistent low oxygen saturation in PE. PE more commonly causes ventilation-perfusion mismatch due to blocked blood flow.

C. "The client is breathing too slowly and it interferes with oxygenation."Slow breathing could impair ventilation, but in PE, oxygenation is impaired because blood flow to parts of the lung is blocked, not necessarily due to a respiratory rate issue.

D. "The blood clot interferes with perfusion in the lungs."Pulmonary embolism obstructs blood flow in the pulmonary arteries, resulting in areas of the lung being ventilated but not perfused. This causes a ventilation-perfusion mismatch and leads to reduced oxygenation despite supplemental oxygen.

A. Drink juices high in vitamin C: While vitamin C may help support immune function, it does not prevent the transmission of colds to others. This measure is more about personal health and has no direct effect on reducing contagion.

B. Cough into your elbow: Coughing into the elbow instead of the hands prevents the spread of respiratory droplets through touch, reducing the likelihood of contaminating surfaces and infecting others.

C. Wash hands frequently: Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. Frequent handwashing helps remove viruses acquired from contaminated surfaces or respiratory secretions.

D. Cover the mouth and nose when sneezing: Covering the mouth and nose with a tissue or elbow during sneezing limits the dispersion of infectious droplets into the air, reducing transmission to others.

E. Use a saline nose spray frequently: Saline sprays may keep nasal passages moist and comfortable, but they do not reduce the risk of spreading infection to others. Their use is symptomatic, not preventive from a contagion standpoint.