Suit: 12-Year-Old Girl Suffers Toxic Shock After Using Tampon
CHICAGO (STMW) - A 12-year-old girl suffered toxic shock syndrome, organ failure and was hospitalized for nearly a month after using a Tampax Pearl Plastic tampon, a lawsuit filed Wednesday claims.
Michelle and Kevin Matthias claim their 12-year-old daughter became physically sick, July 3, 2007, while using a Tampax Pearl Plastic super absorbent unscented tampon during her menstrual cycle, according to a suit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.
The Matthias' daughter was taken to Provena St. Mary Hospital in Kankakee with a fever, headache and a cough, the suit said. While at the hospital, she was hypertensive, lethargic and septic.
The girl was then airlifted to Children's Memorial Hospital in critical condition and required cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the suit said. She was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit.
The Matthias' daughter was diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome, experienced multi-system organ failure and ischemia or constriction of blood vessels that resulted in bilateral paresis or muscle weakness, the suit said.
The girl remained at Children's Memorial Hospital from July 3, 2007 - July 24, 2007, when she was transferred to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago for rehabilitation treatment and care, the suit said. RIC discharged her Aug. 3, 2007.
The suit claims that the Tampax Pearl Plastic tampon, manufactured by Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Company, was unsafe for menstruating young girls to use. The tampon was made with a combination of synthetic materials and cotton that increased the likelihood of a user developing toxic shock syndrome.
The suit also claims that P&G knew or should have known that young girls have insufficient antibodies to resist toxins associated with toxic shock syndrome. P&G failed to inform consumers of the increased risk of developing toxic shock syndrome by using super absorbency tampons as compared to regular absorbency tampons.
The suit claims P&G said the tampon could be used for eight hours when the company should have known that the time period was longer than recommended by the medial community. An eight-hour use of a super absorbency tampon made young consumers more vulnerable to developing toxic shock syndrome, the suit said.
The six-count suit claims strict liability, negligence, and breach of express and implied warranties of merchantability. It seeks more than $300,000 in damages.
A P&G spokesperson was unavailable for comment Wednesday evening.
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