Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome
An
infection of the skin with group II Staphylococcus
aureus bacteria. The bacteria release toxins, caus-
ing inflamed, scaling skin that looks as though it has
been burned. Abbreviated SSSS. SSSS is more com-
mon in children than in adults, but it is more likely
to cause death when it does occur in adults.
Rehydration and use of intravenous antibiotics are
the most common treatments. Steroids worsen the
condition and should not be used. See also 
staphy-
lococcus.
staphylococcus
A group of bacteria that cause a
multitude of diseases. Under a microscope, staphylo-
coccus bacteria are round and bunched together.
They can cause illness directly by infection or indi-
rectly through products they make, such as the toxins
responsible for food poisoning and toxic shock syn-
drome. The best-known member of the staphylococ-
cus family is Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococci
are the main culprits in hospital-acquired infections,
and they cause thousands of deaths every year. Also
known as staph.
staphylococcus, antibiotic-resistant
A form of
staphylococcus bacteria that is unaffected by certain
antibiotics. Antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus is a
growing problem, particularly in hospitals, where
staph infections can run rampant. Treatment
involves using “super-antibiotics” when possible,
although this type of infection can prove to be
untreatable and deadly.
startle disease
See 
hyperexplexia.
startle reflex
A reflex seen in normal infants in
response to a loud noise. The infant makes a sud-
den body movement, bringing the legs and arms
toward the chest.
St. John’s wort
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stasis
A stoppage or slowdown in the flow of
blood or other body fluid, such as lymph. For exam-
ple, a stasis ulcer is an ulcer that develops in an area
in which the circulation is sluggish and the venous
return (the return of venous blood toward the
heart) is poor. A common location for stasis ulcers
is the ankle.