Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a rare disorder that involves a skin reaction to medication. Medications with a known link to SJS include non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Phenytoin, Carbamazepine, as well as anticoonvulsants and sulfa antibiotics.
According to Michael A. Bottar, a Syracuse toxic epidermal necrolysis lawyer with the law firm of Bottar Law, PLLC, SJS or TEN commonly starts with non-specific symptoms such as a headache, cough, or fever. These symptoms may be followed by a whole-body rash and then blisters forming in and around the eyes, mouth and genitals. In some cases, the damaged skin then peels in sheets, and hair and nails may fall out. As people suffering from severe cases of SJS often lose much of their skin, they are commonly treated like burn patients in specialized health care facilities. Risk of infection is high.
In Syracuse, most SJS patients are treated at the SUNY Health Science Center – Burn Unit, located at 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, New York. Other area facilities include St. Joseph’s Hospital in Elmira, New York, and Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York. Treatment usually includes immediate termination of the drug that is the suspected cause of the reaction followed by the administration of intravenous fluids and aggressive infection treatment and management.
SJS and TEN can be deadly. Individuals who have been disfigured by Stevens Johnson Syndrome, and families who have lost a loved one to toxic epidermal necrolysis, may wish to speak with an attorney to determine if the reaction, or the death, was preventable.
To determine whether you or a loved one are entitled to compensation from the party that prescribed or manufactured the drug that caused SJS or TEN, contact the Bottar Law, PLLC legal team at (833) 268-8277 or by email at info@bottarleone.com.