Symptoms:

• Confusion
• Diarrhea
• General ill-feeling
• Headaches
• High fever, sometimes accompanied by chills
• Low blood pressure
• Muscle aches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Organ failure (usually kidneys and liver)
• Redness of eyes, mouth, throat
• Seizures
• Widespread red rash that looks like a sunburn -- skin peeling occurs 1 or 2 weeks after the rash, particularly on the palms of the hand or bottom of the feet

Signs and tests:

No single test can diagnose toxic shock syndrome.

The diagnosis is based on several criteria: fever, low blood pressure, a rash that peels after 1-2 weeks, and problems with the function of at least three organs.

In some cases, blood cultures may be positive for growth of S. aureus.