Changing trends in septic shock in the ICU – is streptococcal toxic shock to blame? A retrospective cohort chart review 

Dr. Jhanahan Sriranjan, PGY2

Supervisor: Dr. Jeffrey Pernica

Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is an acute illness characterized by fever, rash, hypotension, multiorgan involvement, and desquamation. The majority of TSS is attributable to s. aureus, but recent trends suggest an increasing prevalence of invasive Group A Streptococcal (IGAS) infections following the pandemic. This study is a retrospective chart review that utilizes an interrupted time series analysis to determine whether the proportion of sepsis attributable to TSS in the PICU has increased in 2022-2023 compared to pre-pandemic years, and whether the overall prevalence of TSS attributable to IGAS has increased in 2022-2023 compared to pre-pandemic years. 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify the prevalence of TSS in the McMaster PICU in 2023 compared to previous years.
  2. Understand the functions and limitations of an interrupted time-series analysis.  
  3. Discuss potential exploratory analyses pertaining to severity of condition.

Leave a comment