It is a sudden and pernicious condition because indeed the first signs of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) resemble those of the flu. And it is unfortunately this confusion that caused the death, Thursday, January 9, of Maelle, a Belgian teenager taken away at 17 by the SCT. “Maëlle had returned from the gym on Monday evening, around 8 p.m., in great shape “, said his mother Laurence Hbore to the Belgian site Sudinfo .“It was later in the evening that she started to have a fever, to have vomiting… (…) In the morning, the fever having not subsided during the night, the decision was made by his parents to call a doctor. The latter then thinks of a gastrointestinal flu. But the young woman suffers more and more, and finally an ambulance comes to pick her up to take her to the hospital; except that the diagnosis made is the same. But the suffering increases, and Maëlle is transferred to another hospital where she is placed in intensive care. This is where the diagnosis of SCT is made but too late, the young woman dies on Thursday.
A terrible tragedy caused by a rare condition; in France, there are on average 20 cases of TSS per year. Among these cases, most are taken care of, and only 5% of them lead to the death of the patient.
In the case of period-related toxic shock, tampons that are too absorbent can impede blood flow and allow a particular strain of bacteria Staphlococcus aureus, which some women carry, to proliferate and release the toxins that cause TSS. Because know it, during the rules, the pH of the vagina changes; it becomes less acidic and this represents a favorable culture medium for Staphylococcus aureus.
– Sudden fever
– Vomiting
– Sore throat.
– Diarrhea.
– Rash resembling sunburn.
– Muscle pain.
– Dizziness.
– Fainting or feeling like you might pass out when standing up.
-Use tampons with the minimum absorbency to meet your needs and change tampons every 4 to 8 hours instead.
– Avoid wearing tampons at night.
– Use tampons at the start of your period, without inserting one as a precaution, while waiting for your period. Instead use the sanitary napkin in this case.
– Always wash your hands before and after inserting the tampon.
– Alternate use of a tampon and sanitary napkin.
– Never forgetting to remove the tampon.
– Go to the hospital immediately if you experience many of the previously mentioned symptoms.
Below are the words of Maëlle's mother shared via a Facebook post in which she recalls that "no...it doesn't only happen to others .
