The quinolone family of antibiotics includes many common, powerful drugs. However, these antibiotics are among the drugs that can cause a life-threatening drug reaction called Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS.

Quinolone antibiotics were first developed in the 1960s. Quinolone antibiotics were the first fully-synthetic family of antibiotics, and it was hoped that this would make it harder for bacteria to develop a resistance to them. While quinolone antibiotics have not proven resistance-proof, the drugs have joined the ranks of common antibiotics.

Quinolone antibiotics include popular drugs like Avelox, Levaquin and Cipro. According to documents published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH), Avelox, the brand name of moxifloxacin hydrochloride, is used to treat very serious infections.

It is a last-line defense against tuberculosis (TB), a deadly but slow-developing infection of the lungs, as well as endocarrditis, a fast-moving infection of the lining of the heart. As TB develops resistance to more and more antibiotics, drugs like Avelox or moxifloxacin are becoming more and more important.

Levaquin, also called levofloxacin, is similarly effective against a wide range of serious infections. It can treat everything from urinary tract infections to life-threatening pneumonia.

Cipro, or ciprofloxacin, came into the public spotlight during the post-Sept. 11 anthrax attacks. At the time, Cipro was the only antibiotic approved to treat infection with anthrax. However, both Avelox and Levaquin have since been approved to treat anthrax infections as well.

However, quinolone antibiotics like Cipro, Levaquin and Avelox are among the drugs that can potentially cause Stevens Johnson Syndrome, or SJS. SJS is an autoimmune reaction in which the immune system goes haywire and attacks the patient’s skin.

SJS symptoms start with flulike symptoms, followed by a painful rash with sores and ulcers. The damage to the skin can be life-threatening. SJS rashes can also spread to the eyes and even the surfaces of the internal organs.

Even survivors can face serious, life-long SJS complications. For example, scar tissue can be severe enough to remain painful and impair movement. SJS damage to the eyes can cause permanent blindness.

SJS is almost universally caused by drug reactions. Genetics appear to play a role, but scientists have had a hard time pinning down exactly which drugs cause patients to develop SJS from specific drugs. It is highly probable that multiple genes interact, clouding the issue.

However, SJS is almost always attributable to a specific drug. Quinolone antibiotics like Cipro, Avelox, and Levaquin have been linked to cases of SJS.

Patients who have suffered SJS after taking specific drugs have filed SJS lawsuits. These Stephens Johnson Syndrome lawsuits may be filed against drug makers who made the drugs that triggered SJS.

Such a SJS lawsuit may allege that drug makers were aware of these risks, but did not do enough to inform the public. However, more and more often SJS lawsuits have been filed against hospitals treating SJS patients, alleging that the hospitals mismanage treatment or failed to recognize SJS early enough.