Residents with shingles...

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What is your facility's policy on precautions when a resident ends up with shingles? Contact precautions? How long do you keep them on precautions?

I'm currently taking care of a resident who was diagnosed with shingles in her eye two weeks ago. She's been on precautions and basically quarantined to her room since that time. Some of the staff is going a little overboard by wearing a gown, gloves, and a mask. One nurse told me she was having the CNAs place her meal tray in a plastic bag before removing it from the room! Her blisters have come and gone and her lesions are dry and crusted over. She has been scratching at her rash at times and does have one open sore on her forehead. One nurse wouldn't allow the resident out of her room because she has the sore and had previously scratched at her rash and caused bleeding. My DON thinks that the resident needs to remain quarantined because it's been reported that she's picked at the scabs and had some bleeding. Per the CDC once the blisters have crusted over she is no longer contagious... This poor woman has only been allowed to leave her room twice for appt in the past two weeks!

Also, I know watery eyes is a symptom associated with shingles in the eye but has anyone seen the eye have a sero-sang drainage?! And would that watery discharge have the herpes virus in it?

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Specializes in LTC.

Our facility policy is that once antivirals have been started (2 doses I think?) and the lesions have crusted over they are no longer quarantined. I have no idea about the eye, but 2 weeks isolation is quite excessive for shingles in my experience. We also just use contact precautions, and of course make sure that staff that are pregnant or that have never had chicken pox are not assigned to the resident.

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Specializes in LTC, MDS, ER.

I'm assuming one of those appointments was to see the doctor for her shingles? I hope so...shingles in the eyes can be nasty and lead to long term effects. The MD can write for an antiviral (probably too late now).

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I am dealing with this now...shingles near/in the eye & debating whether staff need to wear masks d/t virus spread through the air? We have always used contact isolation but now this is coming into question.

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It's contact, not airborne. A mask shouldn't be needed..

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