Shingles Flashcards
What are 5 symptoms of shingles?
- Tender and painful skin signals the beginning of the attack
- Skin rash (red)
- Rash has a characteristic pattern (belt or band)
- Rash typically affects chest and stomach
- Tiny fluid filled blisters
Does shingles require a counselling room?
No
What are 10 red flags for referral with shingles?
- Refer all patients if presenting within 72 hours of symptom onset for antiviral treatment.
- Ocular involvement or general forehead region
- Numbness
- Vomiting and fever
- Secondary bacterial skin infection
- Post-herpetic neuralgia (pain after rash/shingles has resolved)
- Pregnant patient
- Children
- Dermatomal pain but no rash (zoster siné herpéte)
- Disseminated herpes zoster: widespread vesicular rash, and visceral, central nervous system and pulmonary involvement
Does shingles have a PSA self-care card?
Yes (Shingles)
What is the preferred over-the-counter treatment option for shingles?
Simple analgesics (paracetamol, ibuprofen).
What is the standard dosage of paracetamol?
15 mg/kg (up to 1,000 mg) every FOUR to SIX hours. Maximum of 60 mg/kg (up to 4,000 mg) in 24 hours.
What is the standard dosage of ibuprofen?
5 to 10 mg/kg (maximum 400 mg) every 4 to.6 hours. Maximum of 30 mg/kg (up to 1200 mg) in 24 hours.
What are 2 non-preferred over-the-counter options for shingles and why?
- Capsaicin: cannot be applied to active lesions and may be irritating
- Calamine lotion: dries out skin
Is paracetamol safe in pregnancy?
Yes
Is paracetamol safe in breastfeeding?
Yes
What is the age range for paracetamol?
Safe in children over 1 month
Is ibuprofen safe in pregnancy?
No
Is ibuprofen safe in breastfeeding?
Yes
What is the age range for ibuprofen?
Safe in children over 3 months
What are 10 pieces of non-pharmacological advice for shingles?
- Rest
- Increase fluids
- Keep the area nice and clean to prevent secondary infection
- Wear loose fitting clothing’s for extra comfort
- Avoid contact with others.
- Virus can spread through direct contact with the blisters or through dressing, clothes, or sheets that have been soiled with discharge
- Topical capsaicin cream or lignocaine gel/patch once rash has healed
- Ice packs, cool wet compresses
- Don’t scratch (cut nails short to reduce the risk of bacterial infection from scratch)
- General hygiene to prevent spread and bacterial infection