Distraught mother Maria Trumbo is suing Burrell Behavioral Health for the wrongful death of her 13-year old son, Joseph Trumbo. According to the lawsuit, the psychiatric center had prescribed Lamictal and Tegretol to the plaintiff’s son. Joseph reportedly died on March 21, 2013 due to complications from Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

The SJS lawsuit also names Dr. Lisa Baeza, a psychiatrist who worked with the mental health facility, as a defendant. Dr. Baeza is the one who allegedly prescribed Joseph the medications. Additionally, Boone County Public Administrator Cathy Richards has been assigned as a conservator for Maria because she is unable to represent herself due to a traumatic brain injury.

According to the SJS lawsuit, Joseph was first prescribed Lamictal to treat his epilepsy in October 2012 after his mother reported that he had been having random outbursts. Dr. Baeza allegedly prescribed the medication off-label to help remedy the situation. He was reportedly on the medication for two months before he started developing a Lamictal rash. A dermatologist said the lesions and blotches developing on his skin were consistent with Stevens Johnson Syndrome. The dermatologist recommended that the boy be taken off the medication immediately.

Joseph was then put on Tegretol to treat his epilepsy, and did not suffer any ill effects for some time. It was not until Feb. 14, 2013, that he once again developed red and purplish blotches on his skin. Unfortunately, this time his Stevens Johnson Syndrome evolved into Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, which required him to be hospitalized. The infection reportedly spread throughout in his body, causing multiple-organ failure. This infection eventually led to his death.

According to GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Lamictal, the occurrence of Steven Johnson Syndrome is rare, typically only striking 8 out of 1,000 pediatric patients. Despite the SJS risk, there is no explicit warning or mentioning on the drug’s label.

Maria alleges that Burrell and its employees were negligent in treating her son’s condition, as they did not closely observe his reactions to the medications. She points out that they prescribed a medication like Tegretol even though Joseph had an allergic reaction to Lamictal.

Overview of Lamictal SJS Complications

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a rare and extreme allergic skin reaction a patient has to medicine. It is most famously known for the reddish and purplish rashes it leaves on the patient’s skin, which can cover from 10 to 30 percent of the skin’s surface area. Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) is the latent form of SJS, where the rashes can cover up to 90 percent of the skin’s surface area. If left alone, these conditions can cause blindness, permanent scarring, and organ failure as seen with Trumbo’s son.

Both conditions are considered rare in the medical community, with only 300 cases diagnosed per year in the United States. This condition typically occurs more commonly in adults than children, but is still a concern in the pediatric field.