Curriculum · Pediatric / Nutrition & Growth / EPI / Routine Child Examination
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome
What it is
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) usually affects babies and young children under five. The causative agent is an exfoliative staphylococcal toxin. Bullous impetigo is also attributed to S. aureus with its exfoliative toxin, while non-bullous impetigo, the more common form, is S. aureus or S. pyogenes.
How it presents
Staphylococcal bacteria cause extensive blistering, with the appearance of having been scalded with boiling water.