Content Source:
Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology
Toxic Shock Syndrome (Other Than Streptococcal) (TSS)
1990 Case Definition
Toxic Shock Syndrome (Other Than Streptococcal) (TSS)
1990 Case Definition
1990 Case Definition
Clinical Criteria
An illness with the following clinical manifestations:
- Fever: temperature greater than or equal to 38.9°C (102.0°F)
- Rash: diffuse macular erythroderma
- Desquamation: 1-2 weeks after onset of illness, particularly on the palms and soles
- Hypotension: systolic blood pressure less than or equal to 90 mm Hg for adults or less than fifth percentile by age for children aged less than 16 years; orthostatic drop in diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 15 mm Hg from lying to sitting, orthostatic syncope, or orthostatic dizziness
- Multisystem involvement (three or more of the following):
- Gastrointestinal: vomiting or diarrhea at onset of illness
- Muscular: severe myalgia or creatine phosphokinase level at least twice the upper limit of normal
- Mucous membrane: vaginal, oropharyngeal, or conjunctival hyperemia
- Renal: blood urea nitrogen or creatinine at least twice the upper limit of normal for laboratory or urinary sediment with pyuria (greater than or equal to 5 leukocytes per high-power field) in the absence of urinary tract infection
- Hepatic: total bilirubin, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), or serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) at least twice the upper limit of normal for laboratory
- Hematologic: platelets less than 100,000/mm3
- Central nervous system: disorientation or alterations in consciousness without focal neurologic signs when fever and hypotension are absent
- Negative results on the following tests, if obtained:
- Blood, throat, or cerebrospinal fluid cultures (blood culture may be positive for Staphylococcus aureus)
- Rise in titer to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, leptospirosis, or measles
Case Classification
Probable
A case with five of the six clinical findings described above
Confirmed
A case with all six of the clinical findings described above, including desquamation, unless the patient dies before desquamation could occur