Sinus Infections Can Lead to Toxic Shock in Children

Toxic shock syndrome in children, a sometimes fatal condition, could be a result of a chronic sinus infection. Sinus infections, characterized by pressure in the cheeks or front of the face, nasal congestion, cough, and postnasal drip, are very common among children and according to new data 20 percent of toxic shock syndrome cases are a result of sinus infections or rhinosinusitis.

Dr. Kenny Chan, chief of pediatric otolaryngology at The Children's Hospital and professor of otolaryngology at the University of Colorado released his new study, which made the connection between sinus infections and toxic shock syndrome in the Archives of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery. Toxic Shock Syndrome for many years was known by the general public to have been caused by tampons used by menstruating women, even though things such as surgical wound infections, postpartum infections, and many types of connective tissue lesions also cause the condition. Dr. Chan said, "The medical community and the community in general latched onto tampon use because it is a more frequent phenomenon than any other cause." Toxic shock syndrome is most times noticed through signs such as a rash, fever, very low blood pressure, confusion, difficulty breathing, cold hands and feet, vomiting and diarrhea, and can potentially lead to organ failure and even death.

Dr. Chan’s study, conducted from 1983 to 2000, involved 76 children whose average age was ten and had suffered from toxic shock syndrome. The team evaluated the children’s medical records and found that 23 of the children were also diagnosed with acute or chronic rhinosinusitus and 17 of those cases had no other identified source of infection. Rhinosinusitis, caused by a bacterial or viral infection where the sinus membranes become inflamed were identified as the prime cause in 21 percent of the cases of toxic shock syndrome. Ten of the children required intensive care unit attention, four required medication to raise their blood pressure and six required surgery. However, only four of the patients had proven rhinosinusitis and toxic shock syndrome. The study found that patients suffering from both conditions more often-required ICU care compared to those patients suffering from only one of the conditions.

Based on the evidence indicating sinus infections could be one of the leading causes of toxic shock syndrome, parents and doctors must keep a close watch on children with any signs of a sinus infection or toxic shock syndrome. Researchers and doctors do not feel there is any reason for parents to overreact about sinus infections, but they do need to be aware of the signs and risks associated with the two conditions. According to Dr. Chan, "If things don't add up, and if the symptoms are unusual in terms of severity and duration, don't just blow it off as a cold," the doctor says to seek medical attention. He adds that, "Prompt imaging studies of the sinuses is mandatory when no apparent cause of toxic shock syndrome is found."