An elderly patient has arrived at the physician's office complaining of a rash. Upon further investigation, the patient states that the rash feels like a burning pain but also has some tingling. It is extreme sensitive to touch, and it's "like crazy." The nurse notes that the rash is made up of vesicles and located on the right thoracic region. The nurse suspects the patient has

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All of the characteristics point to herpes zoster. The vesicles erupt for 3 to 5 days along the nerve pathway (hence the reason for the burning pain). Eruptions usually are unilateral in the thoracic region, trunk, or face. Rubella (German measles) is characterized by a diffuse, punctuate, macular rash that begins on the trunk and spreads to the arms and legs. Varicella (chickenpox) has a macular stage where it develops within hours over the trunk, spreading to the limbs, mucosa, scalp, axillae, upper respiratory tract, and conjunctiva. HPV causes genital warts and is a sexually transmitted disease.

An Elderly Patient Has Arrived at the Physician's Office Complaining