Another toxic shock syndrome

PREVIEW

With the death of muppeteer Jim Henson from streptococcal infection in 1990 and reports in the lay press of “flesh-eating bacteria,” severe streptococcal disease has seized the attention of the general public. The medical community has long recognized Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A streptococcus, as the cause of a broad spectrum of acute illnesses (eg, pharyngitis, scarlet fever, impetigo, erysipelas, necrotizing fasciitis) and of rheumatic fever and poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, two nonsuppurative sequelae. However, over the past 10 years, the manifestation known as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome has received increasing attention. This article examines its development, presentation, treatment, and prognosis.