Shingles

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Do you place your shingles patients in respiratory isolation?

Specializes in ICUs, Tele, etc..

depends wether or not a staff member hasn't had chickenpox yet, otherwise private room with contact precaution.

Thanks for the reply on the shingles issue.

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

My facility places shingles patients on respiratory isolation if the lesions haven't crusted yet. Once the lesions crust over and begin to heal we take them off isolation.

We use contact isolation and if they are in one of our 2 double rooms, we move them to a private room. It depends on where the lesions are located.

I have gone through 4 bouts of shingles in the past 10 months....OUCH :banghead: I was kept off work for a couple of days and after I saw the health nurse, she gave me the 'ok'. That was with the first case.

The second case popped up when I was on medical leave for 2 weeks so no problem there.

The third and fourth cases I didn't miss any work. I was told as long as they are in a 'non-open' spot and covered, I was ok. Since they were on my hip/buttocks area, I had then covered with a dressing, then my undies and a 'girdle' with extra support for my back and then my scrubs...........what do you guys think............right or wrong???

We use contact isolation and if they are in one of our 2 double rooms, we move them to a private room. It depends on where the lesions are located.

I have gone through 4 bouts of shingles in the past 10 months....OUCH :banghead: I was kept off work for a couple of days and after I saw the health nurse, she gave me the 'ok'. That was with the first case.

The second case popped up when I was on medical leave for 2 weeks so no problem there.

The third and fourth cases I didn't miss any work. I was told as long as they are in a 'non-open' spot and covered, I was ok. Since they were on my hip/buttocks area, I had then covered with a dressing, then my undies and a 'girdle' with extra support for my back and then my scrubs...........what do you guys think............right or wrong???

We use contact precautions but if the area is small enough to be covered with a dressing then they can be out and about. So you did the right thing. It's the drainage that is contagious.

We use contact isolation and if they are in one of our 2 double rooms, we move them to a private room. It depends on where the lesions are located.

I have gone through 4 bouts of shingles in the past 10 months....OUCH :banghead: I was kept off work for a couple of days and after I saw the health nurse, she gave me the 'ok'. That was with the first case.

The second case popped up when I was on medical leave for 2 weeks so no problem there.

The third and fourth cases I didn't miss any work. I was told as long as they are in a 'non-open' spot and covered, I was ok. Since they were on my hip/buttocks area, I had then covered with a dressing, then my undies and a 'girdle' with extra support for my back and then my scrubs...........what do you guys think............right or wrong???

This is my second bout with shingles in 20 years first bout was nursing 24/7 and now from stress. I have done the medicine 2 times 20 days total and still have the rash down my right side, it has improved in the other areas but this one, driving me crazy and has been 2 months. besides the pain and itching. I have used clear benadryl for the topical but what should I do next???

Any help would be great.....

Vicki

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