Which nursing intervention best reduces infection risk for a client with immunosuppression after chemotherapy?

• A. Insert an indwelling catheter to monitor sediment in the urine.
• B. Take the client's temperature once per shift.
• C. Provide the client with fresh fruit to avoid constipation.
• D. Limit the number of health care workers entering the room.

Answer: (D)

The main idea is reducing infection risk by limiting exposure to pathogens. When chemotherapy causes immunosuppression, the body's defenses are weakened, so even small exposures can lead to serious infections. Limiting how many health care workers enter the room minimizes the chances that pathogens are introduced or that hand hygiene and PPE are inadvertently breached, which is crucial for neutropenic precautions. It also helps keep the environment controlled and reduces the need for repeated handling by many staff members. The other choices can increase risk or miss early signs: an indwelling catheter can be a source of infection, checking temperature only once per shift may miss fevers, and fresh fruit can carry microbes that pose a risk to someone with a compromised immune system.