A Possible Case of Toxic Shock Syndrome

Abstract

This syndrome was first reported by Todd in 1978 and is now recognized as a new staphylococcalinfectious disease which occurs primarily in young healthy menstrual women usingtampons.
A 21-year-old woman who used a tampon developed fever, myalgia and erythema during hermenstrual period. In a short time, she succumbed to shock and acute renal failure, acute respiratoryfailure, coagulation disturbance, mental disturbance hepatic dysfunction were complicated. Under thesuspicion of septic shock, bacterial cultures of blood, urine, throat and spinal fluid were frequentlyexamined, but no organism were found.
Antibiotics was administered and, mechanical ventilation, hemodialysis, administration of antithrombin-III concentrates and heparin were done.
She was recovered in about a month without any trouble.
Clinical course and laboratory data of this case were well matched to the definition of Toxic shocksyndrome that Shands had shown.