Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

Secondary conditions accompany Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Stevens Johnson Syndrome in itself is an extremely serious and potentially deadly condition.

The condition is usually an allergic reaction in response to medication, infection or illness. It can cause the top layer of skin to shed and die, which is extremely painful for the patient.

But according to the Mayo Clinic, Stevens Johnson Syndrome can also bring a host of complications, including:

Secondary skin infection, or “cellulitis”: This acute infection of the skin can lead to life-threatening complications, including meningitis — an ...

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Risk factors for Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

According to the Mayo Clinic, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a rare and unpredictable skin condition. Although no test is available to help predict who is at risk, some factors may increase the risk of developing Stevens-Johnson syndrome, including:

  • Existing medical conditions — Viral infections, diseases that decrease immunity, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and systemic lupus erythematosus — a chronic inflammatory disease — increase the risk of developing Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
  • Genetics — Carrying a gene called HLA-B12 may make a patient more susceptible to ...
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Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Foundation provides advice for identifying condition

According to the Stevens Johnson Syndrome Foundation, the potentially deadly skin condition afflicts people of all ages and both sexes. But more female cases have been reported than male, and it afflicts people of all ages.

The Foundation says recognizing the early symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome and getting prompt medical attention are the most important tools in minimizing the possible long-term effects the condition may have on its victims.

Those symptoms include:

  • Rash, blisters, or red splotches on skin
  • Persistent fever
  • Blisters in mouth, ...
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Antidepressant boom described as harmful

John Horgan, director of the Center for Science Writings at the Stevens Institute of Technology, wrote an article for the Chronicle of Higher Education in which he questions whether the surge in antidepressant prescriptions may be doing more harm than good.

In fact, he writes that clinical evidence suggests “American psychiatry, in collusion with the pharmaceutical industry, is perpetrating what may be the biggest case of iatrogenesis—harmful medical treatment—in history.”

When he ...

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Life-threatening skin condition SJS caused by several different drugs

According to the Mayo Clinic, the exact cause of Stevens-Johnson syndrome can’t always be identified. Usually, the condition is an allergic reaction in response to medication, infection or illness.

Whatever the underlying cause, the condition is gravely serious. It can cause the top layer of skin to shed and die. Even if it doesn’t prove deadly, it’s extremely painful and can cause long-term health problems including blindness.

The Mayo Clinic provides the following information on the condition’s causes:

Medication causes

Medications are most often ...

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Former FDA official says agency hid evidence of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

In an interview with Truthout, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration drug reviewer described an atmosphere in which professionals tasked with evaluating the safety of drugs are pressured to look the other way when they see a problem. Failing to do so, he said, often brings about official retaliation from the agency.

Ronald Kavanagh B.S.Pharm., Pharm.D, Ph.D., is quoted as saying: “FDA’s response to most expected risks is to deny them and wait until there is irrefutable evidence postmarketing, and then ...

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