toxic shock syndrome

toxic shock syndrome
a rapidly developing, sometimes fatal infection characterized by sudden onset of fever, gastrointestinal upsets, a sunburnlike rash, and a drop in blood pressure: caused by a Staphylococcus aureus toxin and occurring esp. in menstruating women using high-absorbency tampons. Abbr.: TSS
[1975-80]

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Bacterial disease caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.

It was first recognized in 1978 in women using superabsorbent tampons. High fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and rash may progress to abdominal tenderness, drop in blood pressure, shock, respiratory distress, and kidney failure. The syndrome also has other causes, including postsurgical infection. Antibiotics are not effective. With intensive supportive therapy, most patients recover in 7–10 days, but 10–15% die. Many patients have a milder recurrence within eight months.

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      inflammatory disease characterized by high fever, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, irritability, sore throat, and rash. Abdominal tenderness, severe hypotension, shock, respiratory distress, and renal failure sometimes develop. The condition is caused by an exotoxin—that is, a toxin formed by bacteria, in this case primarily Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes. Toxic shock syndrome was first described in 1978.

      In the early 1980s the disease was associated primarily with menstruating women who used a certain brand of tampons. Scientists later found that several types of highly absorbent material (polyacrylate rayon and polyester foam), which are no longer used in tampons, promoted the bacterial production of toxins.

      Toxic shock syndrome has been reported in children and men and was found to be linked to a broad range of causes, including postsurgical infections. Because bacteria can be resistant to certain antibiotics, treatment consists primarily of intensive support therapy. Most patients recover in 7 to 10 days; the mortality rate is 5 percent. In many patients the syndrome recurs up to eight months later but often in a milder form.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • toxic shock syndrome — n. a disease, esp. of young menstruating women using highly absorbent tampons, characterized by fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and, often, shock and caused by a toxin releasing bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus) …   English World dictionary

  • toxic shock syndrome — toxic shock .syndrome n [U] a serious illness that causes a high temperature and is thought to be connected with the use of ↑tampons …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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  • Toxic shock syndrome — Infobox Disease DiseasesDB = 13187 ICD10 = ICD10|A|48|3|a|30 ICD9 = ICD9|040.82 ICDO = OMIM = eMedicineSubj = med eMedicineTopic = 2292 eMedicine mult = eMedicine2|emerg|600 eMedicine2|derm|425 eMedicine2|ped|2269 MeshID = D012772 Caption = |… …   Wikipedia

  • Toxic shock syndrome — A grave condition occurring predominantly in menstruating women using tampons, toxic shock is characterized by a highly toxic state (with sudden high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aching) followed by low blood pressure (hypotension) which can …   Medical dictionary

  • toxic shock syndrome — noun syndrome resulting from a serious acute (sometimes fatal) infection associated with the presence of staphylococcus; characterized by fever and diarrhea and nausea and diffuse erythema and shock; occurs especially in menstruating women using… …   Useful english dictionary

  • toxic shock syndrome — a state of acute shock due to septicaemia. The commonest cause is a retained foreign body (e.g. a tampon or IUCD) combined with the presence of staphylococci (see also streptococcal toxic shock syndrome). The condition can be life threatening if… …   Medical dictionary

  • toxic shock syndrome — a state of acute shock due to septicaemia. The commonest cause is a retained foreign body (e.g. a tampon or IUCD) combined with the presence of staphylococci (see also streptococcal toxic shock syndrome). The condition can be life threatening if… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • toxic shock syndrome — (tok sik) A staphylococcal disease that most commonly affects females who use certain types of tampons during menstruation. It is associated with the production of toxic shock syndrome toxin by certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus …   Dictionary of microbiology

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