chickenpox/shingles

• Chicken Pox

  • Fever, headache, malaise up to 3 days before rash
  • Small red lumps (macule) rapidly develop into vesicles/blisters in about 12 hours
  • Usually appear on the trunk first then face and scalp
  • Vesicles burst forming crusted spots over a few days, then healing over the next 1-2 weeks
• Incubation period of chicken pox

  11-21 days
• Counselling for chicken pox?

  
  

  • Chicken pox is highly contagious (from a few days prior onset of rash until all lesions have crusted over)
  • Transmission of virus by droplet infection (sneezing etc) or with contact of vesicular exudates (touch)
  • not contagious once all spots crusted over
• Shingles

  • Reinfection by varicella virus after chicken pox, results in nerve infection & skin around it
  • Usually affects a specific area on one side of the body (branch like)
  • Lower immunity in elderly/stress etc leads to shingle flare ups
• Treatment for chicken pox?

  calamine lotion:

  • apply topically to the skin. Use cotton wool ideally as finger nails can introduce infection to the spots (secondary infection)
  • cooling effect on the skin
  • calamine in aqueous cream also available

  paracetamol liquid:

  • anti-pyretic effect, analgesic ( reduces fever)
  • AVOID IBUPROFEN (NUROFEN) CAN WORSEN THE RASH!!

  Antihistamine liquid

  • chlorpheniramine liquid (pirtion) can be given to ease the itching
  • can cause drowsiness

  cooling agents

  • virasoothe
  • poxiclin
• is it possible to catch shingles from someone with chicken pox?

  NO!- but can catch chicken pox from someone with shingles
• Shingles 


  Whats the diagnosis ?

  
• Chickenpox 


  What’s the diagnosis?