This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

DEBRAH MEISLICH, MD
Department of Pediatrics Albert Einstein Medical Center York and Tabor Roads Philadelphia, PA 19141

SARAH S. LONG, MD
Temple University School of Medicine Section of Infectious Diseases St Christopher's Hospital for Children Philadelphia, PA 19134-1095

Am J Dis Child. 1993;147(1):18-20.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Sir.—Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous aerobic motile gram-negative rod that grows within a range of temperatures, in various environments like soil, sewage, and natural and tap water. It can infect almost all species of life from plants to invertebrates and vertebrates.^1,2Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces a variety of toxins and enzymes that contribute to virulence and characteristic dermatologic manifestations of cellulitis, necrotizing subcutaneous nodules, and ecthyma gangrenosum. Natural opsonic and preformed antibodies and complement and phagocytic cells protect the healthy individual from invasion.³ There are multiple reports of self-limited Pseudomonas skin infection occurring in individuals after use of hot tubs, whirlpools, water slides, and swimming pools.^4,5 Serious infections occur almost exclusively in debilitated individuals and in those with deficiencies of the immune system or white blood cell function. We describe two previously healthy children who developed life-threatening infections due to P aeruginosa, and propose that prolonged . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?