Page 103 - LECTURE NOTES

Nursing intervention

¾ Maintain skin integrity by giving skin care
¾ Isolate the patient until the crust disappears

¾ Advise the patient to get bed rest until the patient is afebrile
¾ Keep the skin clean

¾ Give antibiotic for patients who have secondary bacterial infection
¾ Reduce fever by using analgesics like paracitamol and use tepid sponge for

children according the severity of fever

¾ Teach the family and other community members about the disease condition
¾ Encourage the patient to take high fluid and maintain his/her nutritional status.

If the patient case not improvement and the condition become serious refer to the next
health institution.

4.5.2 Herpes zoster (Shingles)

It is an inflammatory viral condition caused by varicella zoster virus.
Epidemiology

Herpes zoster (HZ) is more prevalent in people who are immuno compromised i.e

those withPost-organ transplant patient those receiving chemotherapy or radiation
therapy for malignancies or patient with AIDS. Hz is not always associated with

HIV/AIDS, elderly people can get and some times people without immuno supperation
can get it.

Herpes zoster represents as a reactivation of latent varicella (chicken pox) and may

reflect a lower immunity. It is believed that the viruses responsible for the out break lies

dormant inside nerve cells in the sensory ganglion of the spinal cord. Later, when the
latent viruses are reactivated they travel by way of the peripheral nerves to the skin.

Clinical manifestation
The eruption is generally preceded by pain, which may radiate over the entire region

supplied by the nerves. The pain may be burning, lancinating (sharply cutting) stabbing

97