Toxic shock syndrome is a severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome caused by streptococcal or staphylococcal infection, characterized by sudden onset of high fever, skin rash and the symptoms of multiple organ dysfunction leading to shock. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms and positive blood and/or focus of infection cultures (Table I, II). Treatment includes antibiotics, immunoglobulins, and intensive therapy. Patients with toxic shock syndrome require treatment in an intensive care department.
The paper presents the clinical symptoms (Fig. 1) and the therapeutic and diagnostic difficulties associated with toxic shock syndrome in the example of a clinical case of a 3-year-old boy diagnosed with this syndrome.