CATEGORY DEFINITIONS
These are recommended guidelines for health professionals referring patients for assessments / treatment in a HHS.

within 1 week

within 4 weeks

within 16 weeks

Immediate and Urgent cases must be discussed with the Specialist or Registrar in order to get appropriate prioritisation and then a referral letter sent with the patient, faxed or e-mailed.  The times to assessment may vary depending on size and staffing of the hospital department.

• Viral exanthems
• Herpes simplex (genital)
• Herpes simplex (non-genital)
• Herpes zoster

• Do not treat with antibiotics
• Oral acyclovir for first attack; consider prophylactic acyclovir for recurrent herpes simplex
• Symptomatic therapy
• Follow guidelines from Pharmac

Refer Sexual Health.

Consider referral to dermatology for recurrent infections (6 per annum) or eczema herpeticum.

Category 1    
to
Category 2    

Other References: 

Differential Diagnosis in Dermatology.  Richard Ashton & Barbara Leppard.  Radcliffe Medical Press. 1990