A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a newly licensed nurse who is caring for a client who has AIDS. The nurse should instruct the newly licensed nurse to clean spills of the client's blood with a solution of water and which of the following cleaning agents?

This infection control scenario requires the application of biohazard decontamination protocols for bloodborne pathogens. The nurse must select the appropriate chemical agent capable of denaturing human immunodeficiency virus present in biological fluid spills. Choice A rationale Chlorine bleach mixed with water in a 1 to 10 dilution is a powerful disinfectant that rapidly denatures viral proteins. It effectively inactivates HIV and other bloodborne pathogens on environmental surfaces. Choice B rationale Chlorhexidine gluconate is an antiseptic agent utilized primarily for skin antisepsis, surgical scrubbing, and pre-operative preparation. It is not recommended or validated for decontaminating environmental blood spills on hard surfaces. Choice C rationale Isopropyl alcohol can be used for small surface disinfections but evaporates too quickly to ensure the necessary contact time required to thoroughly decontaminate large or concentrated blood spills safely. Choice D rationale Hydrogen peroxide is used as a topical antiseptic or for minor environmental cleaning. It is less effective and less stable than chlorine bleach for neutralizing bloodborne pathogens in large fluid spills.