Severe Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome with Multiple Complications in a 5-Week-Old Neonate: A Case from a Refugee Camp Clinic
1 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Jackson State University, College of Health Sciences, Jackson, MS, USA.
2 MERQ Consultancy LLC, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
3 Mekelle University, College of Health Sciences, Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
4 Department of Internal Medicine, Mekelle University, College of Health Sciences, Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
5 Emergency Unit, Trauma and Orthopedics, Adham General hospital, Adham, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
6 Department of Emergency Care, Al-Tuwal General Hospital, Al-Tuwal, Jizan Region, kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Case Study
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2023, 20(03), 2395-2400
Publication history:
Received on 06 October 2023; revised on 19 November 2023; accepted on 12 December 2023
Abstract:
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) is a severe, toxin-mediated dermatologic condition that primarily affects neonates and young children. It is characterized by widespread epidermal exfoliation, often complicated with dehydration and sepsis. This report describes a 5-week-old male neonate who presented with a 10-day history of rapidly progressing vesicular skin lesions ultimately leading to a near-total body exfoliation with radial fissuring and crusting around the mouth and eye, high-grade fever, severe dehydration, and concurrent conjunctivitis (ophthalmia neonatorum). The case highlights the critical importance of early diagnostic recognition and emergent care; including fluid resuscitation, meticulous skin and ocular care, especially in resource-limited or humanitarian practices. Such settings are often challenged with limited access to antibiotics, specialty care, and delayed patient presentation. The need for a comprehensive antibiotic strategy and preventive neonatal eye care is particularly important where there is co-occurrence of ophthalmia neonatorum. Where access to healthcare is limited by multiple social determinants, prognosis is usually poor. Improving survival in these environments will require strengthening both human resources and ensuring robust supply chains.
Keywords:
Severe Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome; Ophthalmia neonatorum; Neonatal skin infections; Humanitarian setting; Radial fissuring
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Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0