Toxic Shock Syndromes is rare disease but when someone does get it, it is a life-threatening complication of certain types of bacterial infections. The researchers have discovered that toxic shock syndrome is caused by a poison produced by a bacterium that’s known as Staphylococcus aureus, which is also known staph. Another microbe that can cause this disease is Streptococcus pyogenes but is pretty uncommon. At first, no one understood what was causing TSS even though it was mostly linked to tampons that women used during their menstrual period. Most cases that have been involved with toxic shock syndrome has been associated with the use of tampons. Also, there's been a few cases where women have gotten toxic shock syndrome while using a diaphragm for birth control, and a few women have gotten toxic shock syndrome a few weeks after childbirth. Although, women who are using tampons during their periods, or women using the diaphragm to prevent getting pregnant, and women who get it a few weeks after giving birth, there have been a very few cases where children or men also get toxic shock syndrome.
Toxic shock syndrome usually occurs in men or women who have Staphylococcus aureus infection. Most of the people who end up getting toxic shock syndrome are in a good health condition so if a man or a woman who has Staphylococcus aureus infection, there is a chance they are developing toxic shock syndrome. Although, anyone, whether a male or female is fit to this scenario have a high chance of developing toxic shock syndrome, women who are using tampons during their menstrual periods, have a chance to developing a TSS. Toxic shock syndrome is mostly involved with women who are using tampons during menstrual periods and it affects them at the ages of 15-24.
The disease develops quickly. This is a life-threatening disease, which means immediate medical treatment is needed. There are so many symptoms and signs that show that a patient might have Toxic Shock Syndrome. Onset usually sudden with a high fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit or more, there is a quick drop in blood pressure, nausea vomiting, watery diarrhea, confused, disoriented, dizziness, muscle ache, headaches, redness of eyes, mouth, and throat, vagina, vulva, widespread skin rash. The rashes would appear to be a sunburn-like rash that covers most of the body. Sometimes, blood cultures may also be positive for growth of S aureus. There will be an organ failure as well, such as kidneys and liver. TSS can also occur in burns, skin infections, and, also after surgeries.
When someone has TSS, it is not transmitted to the uninfected person. However, Staphylococcus aureus does live on the skin of the human body, along with the mucosal sites, which can be transmitted with people having direct contact. For the ones who are infected with toxic shock syndrome haven’t developed antibodies against Staphylococcus aureus so it is not considered to be a contagious infection. Staphylococcus aureus infections can be developed from another infection, such as wounds, burn, or surgical site, pneumonia, sinusitis, osteomyelitis – an infection that's caused in the bones. The bacteria can get its way into the bloodstream if any of these areas are infected.
Because Toxic shock syndrome is a life-threatening medical condition, it can affect major organs in the body. If left untreated, there will be complications with this disease which will cause liver failure, kidney failure, heart failure, and shock, or blood flow will be reduced throughout the body. If it's a liver failure, signs will include as upper abdominal pain, feeling nausea and vomiting, yellowing of the eyeball (jaundice) and skin. Signs of kidney failure will include problems with urinating, weakness, muscle cramps, fatigue, shortness of breath, and high blood pressure. If there's a heart failure, signs will include heart palpitation, chest pain, inability to concentrate, and lack of appetite.
According to TheCut, World's first vaccine has been developed against toxic shock syndrome on June 2016. Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna, and an Austrian pharmaceutical company have developed a vaccine for TSS and they have tested it on 46 men and women who had developed TSS, during their Phase I trial. The vaccine is founded with no side effects, is found to be safe and effective. To get the vaccine approved, the researchers have to get through three phases of clinical testing. This vaccine will cause the immune system to produce antibodies, which are activated if a person is infected with the bacteria. Vaccine or not, women who use tampons during their menstrual periods, are suggested to change their tampons every 8 hours so they can prevent this illness.
The doctor would take multiple tests to see if there are any signs of toxic shock syndrome. The doctor then makes a diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome based on the symptoms and physical examination. Addition to that, other diagnostic tests can include blood and urine tests for the presence of staph or strep infection. Along with that, the doctor may also check if the liver and kidney are functioning normally and give a lumbar puncture – which involves with the insertion of a needle in between the vertebrae of the spine to draw spinal fluid and check if there are any kinds of bacteria. Samples of a patient's vagina, cervix and throat may be sent to the laboratory.
If a patient is diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome, it is a medical emergency. Some people will be sent to the hospital for treatments and will be hospitalized for many days. When the patient is hospitalized, there is a higher chance for the doctor to keep an eye on the patient's condition while they are treating toxic shock syndrome and they can watch out for the symptoms that are causing this disease. Depending on how severe the illness is, the patient can be hospitalized for a few days or longer.
The goal of the treatment is to make sure the body is maintaining the more important body functions so the doctor would prescribe an intravenous (IV) antibiotic so it can help a patient fight the bacterial infect in their body. The patient will also be given medicines that will them control their blood pressure, and gamma globulin injections will be given to suppress inflammation and it’ll help the body’s immune system to be stronger.
Some other forms of the treatment for the toxic shock syndrome comprise many underlying causes that vary. A prime example of this is that if a sponge or tampon is the foreign item that caused the toxic shock for females, then the doctor would have to instantly remove items so that there is no further infection or disease that spreads out. If the primary cause of the toxic shock syndrome was an opened cut or wound, then the doctors would have to make sure that the infected area is cleaned properly and remove blood of the local infected area so that it does not spread out any further.
Certain precautions can reduce your risk of developing toxic shock syndrome. Some of these precautions consist of changing tampons at least every four to eight hours. The reason being is that if the tampon is not changed frequently, then infections could occur. Wearing a low-absorbency tampon is also really helpful along with a sanitary napkin during the menstruation cycle because that make sure that the area is always clean and sanitized properly. Another major point in precautions is that you keep your hands clean at all times and make sure that when you are using a reusable silicone menstrual cup, you clean your hand before and after thoroughly. Wearing a sanitary napkin on light-flow days is also really helpful in the case when there is a light flow and not that much is happening. Try to keep open cuts and wounds as clean as possible so that its free of any bacteria. If you have a personal history of toxic shock syndrome, do not wear tampons. These diseases can recur anytime. If you feel uncomfortable at any given time when you’re using a tampon, then stop using it and make sure that the area is clean and not left un-sanitized so that no further infections and/or bacteria can occur.