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Toxic Shock Syndrome

Toxic Shock Syndrome Overview

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare, life-threatening illness that is caused by toxins (poisons) that circulate in the bloodstream. Bacteria that have infected some part of the body release these toxins. People with toxic shock syndrome develop high fever, rash, low blood pressure, and failure of multiple organ systems in the body.

Toxic shock syndrome was first found in children in 1978. However, toxic shock syndrome did not become familiar until an epidemic in 1981, linked to women using tampons.



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Toxic Shock Syndrome

Life-Threatening Skin Rashes Overview

Rashes are very common conditions and can have many causes. Most rashes are not dangerous but rather are merely nuisance illnesses. Life-threatening skin rashes are rare, but when they do occur, you must identify them and go to a doctor quickly.

Five potentially life-threatening disorders that have skin rash as the primary symptom are pemphigus vulgaris (PV), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), toxic shock syndrome (TSS), and staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSS). All of these diseases have one or more of the following features:

  • Rash affects the entire body, or most of it. Rash affects both the skin and the mucous membranes. Mucous membranes are the moist linings of the following:

    • Mouth and nose

    • Eyes

    • Anus/rectum

    • Vagina or urethra, the opening for urine, in women
      ...

Read the Life-Threatening Skin Rashes article »



Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine

Toxic Shock Syndrome »

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a toxin-mediated multisystem disease precipitated by infection with either Staphylococcus aureus or group A Streptococcus (GAS), also called Streptococcus pyogenes.

Read More on eMedicine »

Medical Dictionary