Toxic shock syndrom is a illness that primarily affects young women using tampon during menstral periods. Because a particular brand of tampon was statistically associated with many cases, that product was withdrawn from the market. Other manufacturers are now supplying warning on or inside tampon packages to alert the estimated 50 milliom American women who use tampons to the possible danger. It should be stressed, however, that TSS is a rare disease with, at most, 15 cases per 100,000 menstruating women per year.

Cases of toxic syndrome not associated with menstruation account for about 13 % of the total reported cases. Among those affected are postsurgical patients, burn patients, women who have just given birth, and patients with boils or abscesses. In a few persons the disease has occured without any apparent preexisting medical condition.

Toxic shock syndrome is characterized by vomiting, water diarrhea, and a high fever. There is a rapid progression to low blood pressure, faintness, and shock, usually accompanied by a sunburnlike rash. Everything from the kidney to the lung and heart can be affected. The acute phase of the disease lasts 3 to 7 days. Most deaths have occured within a week.

The immediate cause has been identified as a toxin released by a certain strain of Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of boils and skin abscesses. Just how tampons are involved is still under investigation, but there is evidence that tampons soaked in blood support bacterial growth. It is possible that tampons (perhaps during insertion) may cause microlacerations that serve as a breeding ground for infection. Treatment of TSS, usually carried out in an intensive care unit, centers on the use of antibiotics and intravenous fluids.