Medical
Protocol
[Refer to CDC’s
Smallpox Response Plan for current protocol. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/prep/index.asp]
Immediate Action
for Patients with Generalized Vesicular or Pustular Rash Illness. (22:V4:47)
All patients
that present to a hospital with a fever and an acute, generalized
vesicular or pustular rash illness should be placed under airborne
and contact precautions. This is standard practice for a case of
varicella or measles.
The hospital
infection control team should be alerted if the patient is admitted.
In a doctor’s office, these patients should be isolated in
a room with the door closed. Review the clinical presentation of
the patient and assess if the illness is high, moderate, or low
risk for smallpox according to the major and minor criteria.
Use
appropriate safety precautions to prevent transmission to yourself
and others. (22:V4:48) Whether or not you
think the person you are evaluating has smallpox, i t is important
to institute appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of an
infectious agent. Always wear gloves when touching a patient with
a rash illness, and institute respiratory precautions if there
is any concern about an infectious agent that can have airborne
spread, as occurs with both varicella and smallpox.
Use the Diagnostic
Algorithm to determine the patient’s case risk. Any
patient presenting with all 3 major criteria is classified as
high risk for smallpox and should be reported to public health
officials and hospital officials immediately. (22:V4:49) Immediate
action should be taken to make sure that contact precautions
and respiratory isolation are in place. (22:V4:49)
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