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Medical Author:

Joseph S Bushra, MD, FAAEM

Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Treatment

People with toxic shock syndrome are admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit for treatment.

• The doctor tries to eliminate the source of infection with the following steps:
• Remove the tampon, nasal packing or other potential source of infection.
• Search for any other possible source of infection.
• Start IV antibiotics after blood cultures are quickly drawn; many clinicians choose to treat with more than one antibiotic as some organisms that cause TSS are occasionally resistant to several antibiotics.
• The doctor helps support the functions of the body until the organs recover with the following steps:
• Provide IV fluids and medications to raise the blood pressure.
• Correct electrolytes.
• Monitor kidney and liver functions.
• Provide oxygen if needed for breathing difficulty. (Some people with severe lung failure need to have a tube inserted into their windpipe and be placed on a ventilator.)