A new treatment is giving patients who have fallen victim to the rare allergic reaction Stevens Johnson Syndrome hope to save their eyesight.

SJS patients typically develop a quickly spreading rash, which is similar to a burn and covers up to 30 percent of their body. The rash spreads over the skin and mucous membranes, making even the simplest of human functions extremely painful. SJS patients report that blinking becomes agonizing, and the allergic reaction can damage the cornea.

A new therapy developed by an expert in ocular surface disorders, Dr. Kimberly Sippel, has successfully treated SJS victims by reducing the risk of blindness as they recover from the dermatological condition.

Dr. Sippel’s treatment includes using translucent sheets of amniotic tissues that are placed on top of the cornea, providing a protective barrier that slowly dissolves. This technique minimizes the accumulation of scar tissue and allegedly treats corneal concerns more effectively than topical corticosteroids.

In a recent article published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, Dr. Sippel and colleagues reported that the SJS patients treated with this emerging therapy showed significant improvement, as none of the patients went blind or had scarring.

The success of amniotic tissue treatment on SJS patients has encouraged other physicians to consider this as a standard practice. However, in order for this to occur, Dr. Sippel reports that it will require ophthalmologists and burn units to work closely with each other.

What is SJS?

Each year hundreds of Americans are diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), which is considered a dermatological emergency. The skin condition is an allergic reaction to either prescription medication or over-the-counter drugs, and is fatal in 15 percent of cases.

SJS symptoms include:

• Blisters on the skin and mucous membranes (in mouth, nose, eyes, genitals)
• Hives
• Burning eyes
• Facial swelling
• Tongue swelling
• Skin pain
• Skin sloughing

Stevens Johnson Syndrome Lawsuits

Blindness is just one of the long-term SJS complications that could occur after developing the skin condition. Other SJS side effects include permanent skin damage, internal organ damage, secondary skin infection (cellulitis), eye complications, and sepsis (blood infection).

There are a growing number of SJS lawsuits filed throughout the U.S., claiming  patients were unaware of the risk of the allergic skin reaction linked to taking various antibiotics and OTC medications.

In general, plaintiffs allege that manufacturers failed to adequately warn of the SJS risks and seek financial compensation to help recover from the medical expenses required to treat the severe medical condition.