The toxic shock syndrome in a burn victim.

A case of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) in a 6-year-old boy with a 5 per cent body surface area partial thickness scald burn is reported. Biobrane was the wound dressing used initially. The clinical and laboratory characteristics of the syndrome are listed. The syndrome is caused by an exotoxin of Staph. aureus and can occur in the absence of invasive infection. The syndrome, first described in menstruating women who used tampons, has occurred in patients with a variety of wounds. Reports of the TSS syndrome in burn victims are limited to children whose wounds were covered. Children are most vulnerable to the development of TSS because of their limited prior exposure to the toxin.