A toddler with burns, stomatitis, and skin graft loss

Burns. 2000 Nov;26(7):625-7. doi: 10.1016/s0305-4179(00)00037-1.

Abstract

The authors report on a healthy 21-month-old toddler with 13% TBSA deep scald burns who was successfully grafted (take 100%). In the immediate postoperative phase, the patient developed classical aphthous stomatitis and subsequent herpes viremia leading to severe viral "graftitis". Although immediately administered intravenous acyclovir therapy appeared to be effective, one third of grafts were lost and had to be replaced. The lesson from this case is 2-fold: Herpes infection may threaten even perfectly engrafted fresh skin transplants, and, freshly grafted or soon to be grafted burn patients should be given intravenous antiviral therapy as soon as a herpes infection is diagnosed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / administration & dosage
  • Burns / diagnosis
  • Burns / surgery*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Herpes Simplex / diagnosis
  • Herpes Simplex / drug therapy
  • Herpes Simplex / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Injury Severity Score
  • Male
  • Opportunistic Infections / diagnosis
  • Opportunistic Infections / drug therapy
  • Opportunistic Infections / immunology*
  • Skin Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Skin Transplantation / methods
  • Stomatitis / diagnosis
  • Stomatitis / immunology*
  • Viremia / diagnosis
  • Viremia / drug therapy
  • Viremia / immunology*

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents