- A middle-school girl, Kelci Anthony, was hospitalized with toxic shock syndrome after swimming in the Ozarks with a tampon inserted.
- Kelci initially brushed off symptoms of nausea and assumed it was car sickness, but it turned out to be the early stages of toxic shock syndrome caused by a bacterial infection contracted from lake water.
- Toxic shock syndrome can be caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which thrive in warm, freshwater settings like lakes and rivers.
- Leaving tampons in for too long can create a hospitable environment for bacteria to grow and increase the risk of toxic shock.
- Prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial for preventing death due to toxic shock, which can have a mortality rate of 5 to 15 percent.
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Emergency Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Ob/Gyn & Women’s Health