Increasing incidence of toxic shock syndrome in the 1970s.

To determine if there was a true increase in the incidence of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) or just increasing recognition of an old problem, we reviewed 2,145 charts of patients between the ages of 10 and 30 years with discharge diagnoses compatible with signs and symptoms of TSS. No cases were identified in 1970 and 1975, but eight cases were found in 1979 and 1980. The data suggest that an increase of TSS in this age group occurred in the late 1970s.