Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but damaging acute illness that affects children with burn injuries. The aim of this study, using an exploratory sequential mixed method methodology, is to develop an early warning prediction tool that can predict toxic shock. The qualitative phase of the study will use investigative interviews and case study to collect data of the childs pre-injury health which will be analysed using content analysis to develop a questionnaire that will be used within the quantitative study.
Potential participants for the qualitative study will be identified from the injury database within the burn centre and will be contacted during routine follow up appointments.
Parents of children previously diagnosed with TSS due …show more content…
Figure 1, identifies the original criteria adopted by the Centre for Disease Control in the USA for diagnosis (Chesney et al. 1981, Shands et al. 1980) which was then adopted as the gold standard .
Figure 1- CDC Criteria for diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome
The criteria could only be used retrospectively as skin desquamation only occurred if no treatment was given (Young and Thornton 2007). Therefore, these criteria were proved unreliable for acute diagnosis. Abbreviated criteria, specifically aimed at diagnosis in paediatric burn injury (figure 2) were put forward by Cole and Shakespeare (1990). However, even the abbreviated criteria remain ambiguous due to the similar presentation of other paediatric conditions such as scarlet fever, meningococcal sepsis and scalded skin syndrome (Young and Thornton 2007, Park, Kim, and Woo 2015)
Figure 2 - abbreviated TSS criteria for Burn injury
As TSS is most commonly associated with staphylococcal infection preventative treatment of prophylactic antibiotics has been advocated (Mulgrew et al. 2014) however, with the increasing appearance of multi resistant infections, blanket use of antibiotics is now being called into question (Chahed et al. …show more content…
Mixed methods research design provides the researcher with an approach that integrates both philosophical assumptions and theoretical frameworks to provide a complete understanding of the research problem (Cresswell 2014). The epistemological frame from which the study will carried out will that of pragmatism. Cherryholmes (1992) describes research under pragmatism as being driven by anticipated consequences in which the researchers own knowledge and experience are key to interpretation and
Potential participants for the qualitative study will be identified from the injury database within the burn centre and will be contacted during routine follow up appointments.
Parents of children previously diagnosed with TSS due …show more content…
Figure 1, identifies the original criteria adopted by the Centre for Disease Control in the USA for diagnosis (Chesney et al. 1981, Shands et al. 1980) which was then adopted as the gold standard .
Figure 1- CDC Criteria for diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome
The criteria could only be used retrospectively as skin desquamation only occurred if no treatment was given (Young and Thornton 2007). Therefore, these criteria were proved unreliable for acute diagnosis. Abbreviated criteria, specifically aimed at diagnosis in paediatric burn injury (figure 2) were put forward by Cole and Shakespeare (1990). However, even the abbreviated criteria remain ambiguous due to the similar presentation of other paediatric conditions such as scarlet fever, meningococcal sepsis and scalded skin syndrome (Young and Thornton 2007, Park, Kim, and Woo 2015)
Figure 2 - abbreviated TSS criteria for Burn injury
As TSS is most commonly associated with staphylococcal infection preventative treatment of prophylactic antibiotics has been advocated (Mulgrew et al. 2014) however, with the increasing appearance of multi resistant infections, blanket use of antibiotics is now being called into question (Chahed et al. …show more content…
Mixed methods research design provides the researcher with an approach that integrates both philosophical assumptions and theoretical frameworks to provide a complete understanding of the research problem (Cresswell 2014). The epistemological frame from which the study will carried out will that of pragmatism. Cherryholmes (1992) describes research under pragmatism as being driven by anticipated consequences in which the researchers own knowledge and experience are key to interpretation and