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In-vitro studies of interactions between tampons and Staphylococcus aureus
Annals of Internal Medicine
|June 1, 1982
Summary
Tampons did not increase Staphylococcus aureus growth, but toxin-producing strains persisted longer on some brands. An increase in toxin-producing S. aureus strains may explain rising toxic shock syndrome cases.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Toxicology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a severe illness linked to Staphylococcus aureus.
- The role of tampons in TSS pathogenesis requires further investigation.
- Changes in S. aureus strains may influence TSS incidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in-vitro interaction between tampons and Staphylococcus aureus.
- To assess tampon brands' effect on S. aureus growth and toxin production.
- To examine trends in toxin-producing S. aureus strains over time.
Main Methods:
- In-vitro incubation of S. aureus with various tampon brands in nutrient broth and human blood.
- Culture-based methods to detect intrinsic S. aureus contamination in tampons.
- Quantitative persistence assays of S. aureus on artificially contaminated tampons.
- Retrospective analysis of clinical S. aureus isolates for toxin production capacity.
Main Results:
- Tampons did not enhance S. aureus growth in vitro.
- No intrinsic contamination of S. aureus was detected in 504 tested tampons.
- Toxin-producing S. aureus strains showed significantly longer persistence on Rely tampons compared to other brands.
- The proportion of toxin-producing S. aureus clinical isolates increased from 5.6% in 1960 to 40% in 1979.
Conclusions:
- Tampon material itself does not appear to promote S. aureus growth.
- Specific tampon brands may influence the persistence of toxin-producing S. aureus.
- The increasing prevalence of toxin-producing S. aureus strains is a significant factor potentially explaining the rise in toxic shock syndrome cases.
