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Volume: 27 - Issue: 2

First page: 125 - Last page: 128

N. de Vries - S. van der Baan

DOI: 10.4193/Rhin10.4193/Rhin89.208

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), is an acute illness with four major criteria: involvement
of multiple organ systems, fever> 38.9° C, hypotension or shock and rash with subsequent
desquamation. TSS was first reported by Todd et al. in 1978, and is a rare
complication of staphylococcal infection. Although it at first was thought to be a
childhood disease and an illness of menstruating women using intravaginal
tampons, it has now been described as a complication of minor surgery, burns and
minimal skin infections (Reingold et al., 1982; Jacobson et al., 1983). More than
2800 cases have been reported at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta
(Reingold, 1985). Jacobson and Kasworm (1986) estimate the incidence after nasal
surgery to be 16.5 per 100.000, which in fact is higher than the incidence in women of
menstrual age using intravaginal tampons. TSS usually occurs within 24-48 hours
after surgery, often starting with nausea and vomiting. Although the syndrome can be
lethal or can have troublesome sequelae, as prolonged weakness fatigue and neuro-
Psychological disturbances, complete recovery is often the case.

Rhinology 27-2: 125-128, 1989