A Texas woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of her brother, claiming his primary physician prescribed him an antibiotic from which he developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a dangerous skin reaction, which ultimately led to his death.

Mildred Slaughter, the sister of Harold Hutchinson, filed the Stevens Johnson Syndrome wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. Michael Burbridge Jr., a family practice doctor affiliated with Providence Health Alliance in Waco, Texas.

Slaughter alleges that her brother developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome from Bactrim, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections such as ear infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and other bacterial infections. The antibiotic was reportedly prescribed by Burbridge.

Hutchinson was diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a painful skin disorder that causes rashes, skin lesions and fever, in March 2011 and was hospitalized and released. He lived in a Texas nursing home before his death in August 2011 from sepsis, a complication from infections that caused swelling throughout his body.

Slaughter’s Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuit accuses Burbridge of medical malpractice and claims that Burbridge was negligent in the treatment of her 78-year-old brother. She is seeking $4 million in damages and pain and suffering.

According to the SJS lawsuit, Burbridge claims “he did everything he could to help Hutchinson” who was suffering from diabetes, prostate ailments, high blood pressure and a variety of other conditions.

Burbridge said he followed a normal course of treatment for Hutchinson when he prescribed Bactrim twice in limited doses for rashes during the three years that he was his primary care physician and claims he did not contribute to Hutchison’s death.

Burbidge also claims he prescribed Bactrim for Hutchinson at least six months before his hospitalization and that Hutchison may have received the antibiotic from a different medical facility.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is an autoimmune reaction that can be caused by medication and can affect individuals at any age, though the majority of cases range between ages of 20 and 40.

The medical condition is typified by skin blisters, severe rash and the skin may separate from the body. When the skin lesions affect more than 30 percent of the body, the condition is referred to as toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).

Treatment for SJS or TEN typically involves inpatient care at a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) or burn unit, and the conditions can be fatal in many cases. Symptoms of SJS include:

• Fever
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Difficulty breathing
• Inflammation/swelling of throat, lips, tongue and face
• Hives
• Skin lesions
• Blisters
• Unusual bleeding

Permanent skin damage and scarring can occur in some cases. Lesions on internal organs can cause serious inflammation of the lungs, heart and kidneys. Approximately 15 percent of SJS patients die from the condition.