A nurse is preparing to admit a group of clients. Which of the following clients should the nurse place in a single-occupancy room with positive pressure ventilation?

Infection control precautions depend on whether a client requires protection from pathogens or isolation to prevent transmission. A positive pressure ventilation room is used for clients who are immunocompromised to protect them from airborne organisms by ensuring filtered air flows outward from the room. Neutropenia places clients at high risk for opportunistic infections due to reduced immune defense, especially after chemotherapy. Protective environments are therefore essential to reduce exposure to airborne pathogens and maintain patient safety. Rationale: A. A client with disseminated herpes zoster requires airborne and contact precautions, but not a positive pressure room. Positive pressure environments would push infectious particles out of the room, increasing the risk of transmission to others. Instead, a negative pressure room is used to contain airborne pathogens and prevent spread. B. A client receiving chemotherapy with a low absolute neutrophil count requires a protective environment because they are highly immunocompromised. A positive pressure ventilation room reduces exposure to airborne microorganisms by filtering incoming air and maintaining outward airflow. This helps prevent life-threatening infections in clients with weakened immune systems. C. A client with a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) wound infection requires contact precautions, not positive pressure ventilation. The goal is to prevent transmission through direct or indirect contact using gloves, gowns, and proper hand hygiene. Airflow modification is not necessary for MRSA wound infections. D. A client with active pulmonary tuberculosis requires airborne isolation in a negative pressure room to prevent transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although symptoms like productive cough are present, including pink frothy sputum, the priority is containing airborne droplets. Positive pressure would be unsafe because it would spread infectious particles outside the room.