infection with toxin-producing staphylococci, occurring most often in the vagina of menstruating women using superabsorbent tampons but also prevalent in many soft tissue infections and characterized by high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, a scarlatiniform rash followed by desquamation, and decreasing blood pressure and shock, which can result in death; hyperemia of the conjunctival, oropharyngeal, and vaginal mucous membranes also occurs.
