The following is a summary of “Infectious complications of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the October 2024 issue of Dermatology by Stewart et al.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) were rare, severe skin reactions caused by medication, resulting in keratinocyte necrosis, loss of skin barrier, and increased infection risk and sepsis as a major cause of death.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to specify the prevalence and risk factors for infectious complications in adults with SJS and TEN.
They reviewed the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (INPLASY) adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, which included 36 articles describing the results from 1446 cases.
The results showed that 36 articles covering 1,446 cases were included, with skin infection being the most frequently diagnosed. The pooled prevalence rates for sepsis, respiratory tract, skin, and urinary tract infection were 27.3%, 21.5%, 37.5%, and 21.8%, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus emerged as the most commonly identified organism. Study quality was generally suboptimal, with a high level of heterogeneity. Skin, bloodstream, respiratory, and urinary tracts were mostly infected during Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.
Investigators concluded that clinicians needed to observe the infection complications during hospitalization and that further research should focused on identifying risk factors and causative organisms associated with infections.
Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijd.17527
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