Question

The nurse is assisting with the collection of a tzanck smear. what is the suspected diagnosis of the patient? herpes zoster psoriasis fungal infection seborrheic dermatosis

Answer 1

The suspected diagnosis of the patient is the Herpes Zoster. The process of scraping ulcer base in looking for Tzanck cells is called the Tzanck test or Tzanck smear. This is also called the chickenpox test and the Herpes skin test. This is a viral disease which has symptoms of headache, fever and malaise or feeling of discomfort, uneasiness or pain. This is characterized by skin rashes with blisters which are painful and found in localized area. In Tzanck smear, this helps in diagnosing in determining if a patient has herpes virus.