After a three-month hospital stay, a young girl suffering from Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) has been able to return home, making a miraculous recovery from a painful and sometimes deadly allergic reaction.

Five-year-old Lydia Lal developed TEN (an advanced stage of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS), a rare allergic skin reaction in May from an alleged allergic reaction to a penicillin-based antibiotic.

Lydia was prescribed this antibiotic to reduce a high fever and at the time her parents claimed that they were unaware that Lydia was sensitive and/or allergic to penicillin.

According to news reports, on the same day that Lydia was prescribed and consumed the penicillin-based antibiotic, she allegedly became seriously ill and started developing blisters on her neck and throat in addition to a dangerously high fever, all common signs of SJS and TEN.

While Lydia was initially assessed at her local hospital, the doctors were allegedly unable to discover what was causing the 5-year-old’s painful skin reaction. The child was then transferred to University Hospital of North Staffordshire where she was finally diagnosed with TEN and her parents were allegedly informed that their daughter’s chances of surviving were slim.

She was eventually transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where after three months of intensive care and treatment, she allegedly recovered from her painful and frightening ordeal.

While young Lydia is now safe at home with her family, because of the damage done to her throat and skin from TEN, she must feed through a tube and must stay out of direct sunlight. However, unlike some other SJS and TEN victims, Lydia did not lose her vision or her ability to walk.

Lydia is not the only child to allegedly experience a severe allergic skin reaction to a prescription or over-the-counter drug. Currently, there are hundreds of SJS lawsuits filed by consumers alleging they or a loved one developed SJS or TEN after taking medication and are seeking justice and compensation from the drug manufacturer for neglecting to fully inform consumers of the risks.

What is Stevens Johnson Syndrome?

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are painful and sometimes fatal skin conditions that develop as an allergic reaction to a whole host of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Some antibiotics have higher rates of SJS or TEN than others, although certain drug manufacturers have allegedly neglected to make these risks of SJS and TEN known to their consumers.

When a patient develops SJS or TEN after taking a medication, the individual’s topmost skin cells die, leaving the deeper layers exposed and unprotected. The sensitive mucous membrane also becomes exposed and may be prone to infection and blistering. While a patient may initially be diagnosed with SJS, if the blisters spread to over 30 percent of a patient’s skin the diagnosis then changes to TEN.

When a patient is diagnosed with TEN, they have about a 35 percent chance of dying from the allergic skin reaction.

Due to the sensitive dermis exposure to the elements and the subsequent pain experienced by SJS victims, they need to be hospitalized for weeks to months at a time for monitoring and treatment.

Some SJS and TEN side effects may include:

• Painful blistering of the skin and mucous membrane
• Flu-like symptoms and high fever
• Sloughing off of skin
• Eye injuries including severe conjunctivis, iritis, palpebral edema, conjunctival and corneal blisters and erosions, and corneal perforation.

As a result of the pain and suffering experienced by SJS and TEN victims, many individuals and families of individuals have filed SJS lawsuits or joined SJS class action lawsuits.