A client on Contact Precautions for a severe *Clostridioides difficile* infection has been discharged. The nurse is responsible for cleaning and disinfecting the reusable medical equipment (e.g., intravenous pump, telemetry monitor) left in the room before returning it to the central supply department. Arrange the following actions in the correct chronological sequence to ensure safe and effective infection control.
- 1Perform hand hygiene and don a clean isolation gown and gloves.
- 2Wipe the equipment with a neutral detergent cloth to remove any visible organic soil.
- 3Apply an EPA-registered sodium hypochlorite solution to all surfaces of the equipment.
- 4Allow the equipment to air dry undisturbed to ensure the required sporicidal contact time.
- 5Doff the gown and gloves inside the room and wash hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Cevap
The correct sequence is to first don appropriate PPE, clean away visible organic soil with a detergent, apply a sporicidal bleach solution, allow the equipment to air dry for the required contact time, and finally doff the PPE and wash hands with soap and water.
The correct sequence integrates the principles of Contact Precautions with the specific environmental requirements for eradicating *C. difficile* spores. The nurse must first don PPE to prevent self-contamination. Next, the equipment must be cleaned with a detergent, because organic soil can deactivate bleach. Once clean, a sporicidal sodium hypochlorite solution is applied and must be allowed to air dry completely to ensure the necessary contact time for spore destruction. Finally, after doffing PPE, the nurse must wash hands with soap and water, as alcohol-based sanitizers cannot neutralize the resilient coating of *C. difficile* spores.
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Anahtar Kavram
Terminal cleaning for *Clostridioides difficile* requires strict adherence to Contact Precautions, a two-step clean-then-disinfect process using a sporicidal agent (bleach), uninterrupted contact time, and mechanical hand washing with soap and water.