The world is full of countless diseases and conditions that threaten the lives of millions. No one is immune to all diseases. There is a possibility that anyone can fall victim to some illness at one point in their lives. Many of these diseases are minor and don’t pose a risk to your overall health and well-being. However, many have proven to be deadly, threatening the lives of many. One such disease happens to be Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

Very few people are aware of SJS, so not too many understand nor comprehend how deadly this harmful skin disease can be. While Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is rare, you should never take it lightly. Far too often, this skin disease has taken the lives of those it has afflicted. If you do not receive treatment immediately when symptoms emerge, it can quickly progress and worsen.

Due to the rarity of SJS, the general public does not know how deadly this disease can be. We are here to shine a light on the potential dangers that Stevens-Johnson Syndrome presents. The condition often worsens because doctors misdiagnose or miss SJS entirely. When this occurs, a patient may be within their rights to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, due to the complexity and rarity of this disease, these lawsuits are difficult to navigate. You should contact a trusted SJS attorney, such as the ones at Wormington & Bollinger so that we can help you seek the justice you deserve.

Understanding SJS

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a rare, yet serious skin disease that attacks the skin and the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, and/or genitals. You should take care of it immediately, and you should seek out treatment quickly. SJS affects one or two out of a million people every year. This rarity makes it difficult to initially diagnose. On top of that, this deadly skin disease shares many symptoms with other more common diseases, which leads to a lot of misdiagnoses.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome typically begins with flu-like symptoms, which prompts doctors to misdiagnose the disease or miss it entirely. As it progresses, the skin disorder develops into a painful rash that spreads across 10% of the body. The rash causes your skin to die, peel, and eventually heal after a few days.

Some of the most common symptoms of SJS are:

• Fever
• Skin pain
• Reddish/purplish rash that spreads across the skin
• Blisters or sores on the mucous membranes
• Skin shedding
• Sore throat
• Fatigue
• Cough
• Burning sensation
• Burning eyes
• Swelling eyes

Because patients don’t recognize SJS right away, it can quickly develop into a more serious and painful disease.

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN)

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis exist on the same spectrum of the same disease. SJS is safer and less severe than TEN. As SJS progresses, it eventually develops into TEN. As we said early, SJS only affects 10% of the skin on your body. However, TEN affects over 30% of your skin, increasing the damage it causes.

Causes

The most common cause of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is an allergic reaction to specific medications. There are over 100 medications that can cause SJS and TEN. Some of these medications include:

• Penicillins and sulfonamides that treat infections
• Anti-gout medications
• Anticonvulsants
• Lamictal
• Sedatives
• Antiepileptic drugs
• Antiretroviral drugs
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

However, medications are not the only cause of SJS. Other harmful conditions can also increase your risk of developing SJS, such as:

• HIV
• Herpes
• Hepatitis
• Influenza
• Typhoid
• Diphtheria

Other factors, such as a compromised immune system, the existence of the HLA-B*1502 gene, and a family history of SJS or TEN, may increase your chances of developing this terrible skin disease.

How Deadly is It?

As we have already said, SJS is incredibly rare, affecting only a handful of individuals every year. However, for those individuals, dealing with this skin disease can be traumatic and lead to extreme pain and suffering. This condition is often likened to burning from the inside out or as if your skin is melting off.

This painful condition viciously attacks some of the most sensitive areas of a patient’s body, leaving them in immeasurable pain. Often, these patients are put into medically induced comas to protect them from this pain while they are being treated. Even if patients receive the treatment they need and are on the road to recovery, they can be met with countless complications that increase the risk of fatality.

Sun exposure may lead to more skin scarring. Eye problems, such as sicca syndrome, keratitis, corneal lesions, and more, can lead to further infections and vision loss.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome can be fatal. About 10% of those with SJS die from the disease, while nearly 50% of those with Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis die. Whenever you don’t receive treatment for your condition, it can progress into TEN. As you can see, TEN is far more deadly than SJS. If you don’t receive treatment early, you increase the disease’s chance of fatality.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a rare yet serious skin condition that you must take seriously. As you can tell by the information provided, far too often, healthcare professionals misdiagnose or miss it altogether. When this occurs, it means the condition will worsen. This disease is deadly, but when it progresses, it becomes more fatal. If you or a loved one has been afflicted by SJS due to misdiagnosis or a drug reaction, contact the Stevens-Johnson attorneys at Wormington & Bollinger to discuss your options.