Teen girl nearly died after developing toxic shock syndrome from a tampon
Katrina thought she had the flu but was left fighting for her life when she found she was suffering from toxic shock syndrome
A TEENAGER nearly died after a tampon gave her toxic shock syndrome.
On Monday September 9 2013, Katrina Shelton, from Michigan, US, got up for school as normal.
The then 16-year-old was feeling a little unwell but decided to push through and go to class as she had a busy day ahead of her.
By 10am she started to feel seriously unwell so phoned her mother to come and collect her from school.
She explained: “I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I felt really bad, so I called my mum and she came and took me home.”
Katrina slept for the rest of the day and felt well enough the next day to go back into school but shortly afterwards she began to feel the same intense tiredness and this time she started vomiting.
“I called my mum again and this time she took me to see a doctor. We thought I just had the flu and I went home again to rest,” Katrina explained.
She continued to feel worse and by Thursday her condition had dramatically deteriorated.
She said: “I woke up and I couldn’t move the right side of my body. I couldn’t lift my leg or my arm and I started freaking out.”
Katrina collapsed on the bathroom floor and her mum rushed to casualty at the nearest hospital where doctors told her family she was seriously ill.
She said: “They took my vitals straight away and my blood pressure was so low that the nurse had to take it twice.
“Suddenly, there were doctors and nurses in the room and they were sticking needles in my arm. I was crying and I was very scared.”
Her anxious family stayed with her as doctors pumped fluids into her arm and tried to stabilise her condition.
“If I had come any later, I probably wouldn’t have made it, because my blood pressure was so low. On that first day, doctors were preparing my family for the worst. It was very frightening for them,” she said.
Katrina’s blood pressure was stabilised and she was placed in intensive care for two days but she was not out of the woods yet as doctors still didn’t know what had caused her illness.
On Saturday night, as she was removed from intensive care and was able to eat her first meal, she was told that she had been suffering from toxic shock syndrome.
Toxic shock syndrome is caused by bacteria getting into your blood stream and releasing harmful toxins in your body. In Katrina’s case this was caused by the tampon she was using.
It can be fatal and those who do recover can be left with life changing injuries and it can potentially also cause memory loss.
“They aren’t sure why exactly it happened,” she explained. “But I was told not to use tampons again. I was so shocked.
“You see the warning labels on boxes of tampons, but you never think it’s going to happen to you. You think it’s just some scary thing that they put on there just in case.”
What is toxic shock syndrome?
• A rare and life threatening condition
• Caused by bacteria getting into the body and releasing harmful toxins
• Can affect men and women of all ages
• Often associated with use of tampons
• Can get worse very quickly and is fatal if not treated
• Symptoms include: high temperatures, flu-like symptoms, feeling sick, vomiting, diarrhoea, widespread sunburn like rash, whites of the eyes turning red, dizziness, fainting, confusion, drowsiness, breathing difficulties
Katrina made a quick recovery and was able to leave the hospital and go home just four days after she was first admitted.
Three years on Katrina, now 19, hasn’t suffered any long-term effects as a result of the incident.
“I lost half the hair on my head in the hospital, but other than that, I was fine. Some of my friends didn’t even know I had been ill,” she said.
The psychology student has been advised not to wear tampons anymore and advises people to be aware of the risks of the usually harmless product.
“Doctors told me not to use tampons for a while after I was ill,” she said. “After about two years, I went back to using them and I thought it would be OK.
“I was lying in bed and I started feeling a bit sick and I freaked out. I just don’t want it to happen again.
“I would warn people to read the package and take it seriously. I think if I had done that, it might not have happened. I think people also need to be aware of the signs and what to do.”