A woman in her fifties with a post-operative infection, generalised rash and organ failure.

Background: Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease caused by superantigen-producing Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Staphylococcal TSS received special attention from 1978 to 1981, when an epidemic was observed associated with the use of hyper-absorbent tampons. Today the disease is rare and generally not related to menstruation, but can occur postpartum or in post-surgical wounds, intrauterine devices (IUDs), burns or other soft tissue injuries, mastitis or other focal infections.

Infective endocarditis in right ventricular outflow tract conduits: a register-based comparison of homografts, Contegra grafts and Melody transcatheter valves.

Objectives: The aim was to investigate the incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) in right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduits implanted at a Danish tertiary centre.

Methods: Cases of IE in patients with homografts, Contegra grafts and Melody transcatheter valves were evaluated retrospectively with regard to the likeliness of the diagnosis using the modified Duke criteria and the likeliness of conduit involvement. Incidence rates for IE were calculated 1 and 5 years after valve implantation for all 3 conduits, and separately for Melody subgroups depending on which conduit served as landing zone.