Toxic shock syndrome due to Clostridium sordellii: a dramatic postpartum and postabortion disease.

We describe a young woman who developed Clostridium sordellii toxic shock syndrome after having had an abortion medically induced by mifepristone (RU-486; Mifeprex [Danco Laboratories]) 7 days before admission to our hospital. Although the patient was aggressively treated, death occurred <3 days after admission. It is hoped that very early recognition of this disease will decrease the mortality associated with this rarely reported ailment that occurs among young, otherwise healthy women.