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Editor: Andy Childers & Brandon Smith
Profession: SJS Attorneys

Category: About Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Anyone who has ever heard of Stevens Johnson syndrome (SJS) or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) already knows the devastating effects the allergic reactions can have both on a friend and/or loved one. One of the most recent illustrations of its effects are shown through Yolanda Stewart's recent bout with TEN after suffering a reaction to the antibiotic she wastaking. Stewart was started on the antibiotic for a urinary tract infection and began experiencing bumpy blackened skin that started peeling off her body during its use. Stewart's condition quickly evolved into Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis is caused by a drug reaction that triggers the immune system to recognize an element of the skin as a foreign object. The body produces antibodies that attack the skin. Early symptoms include high fever, cough, sore throat and fatigue. Then the skin becomes red and blisters appear all over the body. Once the blisters burst, open wounds form and the surrounding skin falls off.

"I looked like a lizard," said Stewart, 50 of Whites Creek. "People would gasp when they saw me."

According to health experts, Stewart and many others like her are not alone:

Health experts say they are seeing the condition more often, perhaps because antibiotics and other medications that can cause it are consumed more than ever. About 30 percent to 40 percent of patients die. Those who survive will grow new skin but may have some scarring.

Dr. Jeffrey Guy, director of Vanderbilt University Medical Center's burn center, stated the following that we as SJS/TEN lawyers see time and time again:

"Some of the patients I've seen really didn't need to be on the medication in the first place," Guy said. "I don't want people to stop taking medications because of some remote chance that there would be an allergic reaction," he said, "But I think people should always pause and ask, "Do I really need this?' "

This is really good advice from one of the foremost authorities on SJS and TEN. Anyone who develops any of the following symptoms consistent with SJS/TEN should contact their doctor immediately to ensure that are doing the right thing and get the treatment they need right away. In instances where SJS and/or TEN might be suspected, it always better to be safe than sorry...