(4pts.) An 8-year-old boy falls while playing and abrades the skin over his thig
ID: 187146 • Letter: #
Question
(4pts.) An 8-year-old boy falls while playing and abrades the skin over his thigh and hip. The injury does not appear to be serious, and no effort is made to clean the wound or apply topical antibiotic creams. The wound worsens after 3 days, with inflammation and a small amount of purulence. That evening, the child develops a high-grade fever (40° C), a headache, and a diffuse rash. By the time the child arrives at the hospital, he is hypotensive, complains of severe myalgias, and has diarrhea. After one more day, his skin desquamates (including over the palms and soles), and he develops renal and hepatio abnormalities 2. What is the most likely organism responsible for this fulminant disease? What is the most likely source of this organism? 1. 2. Which toxin is most likely responsible for this illness?Explanation / Answer
Answer a: Based on the symptoms given we can say that the boy could be suffering from Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). The risk factor for this syndrome is skin wounds and the initial symptoms include hypotension, headache, diarrhoea, fever and rashes. In extreme cases it might also lead to renal failure or shocks. Since all the symptoms given are associated with TSS we can say that the boy has TSS.
The causative organism for TSS is Group A Sterptococcus or Staphylococcus aureus.
Answer b: Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is caused from intoxication by one of several related Staphylococcus aureus exotoxins. The most commonly implicated toxins include TSS toxin type-1 (TSST-1) and Staphylococcal enterotoxin B.
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.