Post Traumatic Wound Infection: Literature Reviews and Queries

Review 3

  • Ladhani S. Joannou CL. Lochrie DP. Evans RW. Poston SM.: Clinical, microbial, and biochemical aspects of the exfoliative toxins causing staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome.
  • Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 12:224-242, 1999
  • The exfoliative (epidermolytic) toxins of Staphylococcus aureus are the causative agents of the staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome (SSSS), a blistering skin disorder that predominantly affects children. Clinical features of SSSS vary along a spectrum, ranging from a few localized blisters to generalized exfoliation covering almost the entire body.
  • The toxins act specifically at the zona granulosa of the epidermis to produce the characteristic exfoliation, although the mechanism by which this is achieved is still poorly understood.
  • Despite the availability of antibiotics, SSSS carries a significant mortality rate, particularly among neonates with secondary complications of epidermal loss and among adults with underlying diseases.

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