TOXIC-SHOCK-SYNDROME IN A NEONATE

Toxic Shock Syndrome is an acute multisystemic disease, characterized by high fever, hypotension and involvment of the skin and mucous membr ane, associated with multisystem dysfunction. It is a ran condition in the paediatric population. We describe a newborn child with asphyxia and meconium aspiration, who developed a temperature of greater than o r equal to 38.9 degrees C, severe hypotension and rash with desquamati on, associated with evidence of coagulopathy and renal and muscular dy sfunction. Strict CDC criteria of toxic shock syndrome were fulfilled in our patient, with all major criteria verified. These criteria have never been validated in neonates, but in this case some symptoms favou r a diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome since they are not associated wi th birth asphyxia, viral intrauterine infection or other disease. We b elieve a probable intrapartum transmission occurred through ingestion or aspiration of contaminated amniotic fluid. The patient described in this report is, to our knowledge, one of the youngest described to fu lfil all of the strict CDC criteria for Toxic Shock Syndrome.