RN Nursing · Infection Control · Practice question
Which precaution should the phlebotomist follow when entering the room of a patient who has shingles?
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Vector
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✓
Airborne
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Standard
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Indirect
Answer & explanation
Correct: Airborne
Shingles (herpes zoster) is caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. When the rash is localized and the patient is immunocompetent, contact precautions are typically used. However, in a disseminated or widespread herpes zoster case — or when caring for immunocompromised patients — airborne precautions are required because the virus can be transmitted via airborne droplet nuclei. Many phlebotomy and infection control guidelines classify shingles under airborne precautions to be safe, particularly in hospital settings. Standard precautions are used for all patients regardless of diagnosis and do not replace transmission-based precautions. Vector-borne precautions address diseases spread by insects such as mosquitoes or ticks and are irrelevant here. Indirect precautions is not a recognized standard category in infection control. While contact precautions apply to localized zoster, the keyed answer of airborne precautions reflects the broader protective standard used when the risk of aerosolization exists, particularly in a phlebotomy context where proximity to the patient is unavoidable. Following airborne precautions includes wearing an N95 respirator and ensuring proper room ventilation, which is appropriate when uncertainty exists about the extent of the infection.
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