Quinolone antibiotics are used extensively in the treatment of various infections. Consequently, they are among the most important agents involved in adverse reactions to drugs, including a severe allergic reaction known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

What are Quinolone Antibiotics?

Fluoroquinolones (or quinolones) are antibiotics commonly used to treat a variety of illnesses such as respiratory and urinary tract infections. These medicines include ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), norfloxacin (Noroxin), and ofloxacin (Floxin). Quinolone antibiotics are thought to be one of the most common causes of quinolone SJS.

Many people who suffer from quinolone-induced SJS allege that pharmaceutical manufacturers are aware of the risks associated with the antibiotic drugs, yet have failed to provide proper warnings even after a half-dozen quinolone antibiotics have been taken off the market because of an unjustifiable risk of adverse effects.

Quinolone SJS Symptoms

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) usually begin with fever, headache, cough, and body aches. In the next phase, a flat red rash breaks out on the face and trunk, often spreading to the rest of the body in an irregular pattern. The areas of the SJS rash enlarge and spread, forming blisters that break out on the mucous membranes lining the mouth, throat, anus, genitals, and eyes. The skin of the blisters is very loose and easy to rub off.

In quinolone SJS, less than 10 percent of the body surface is affected. In TEN, large areas of skin peel off, often with just a gentle touch or pull. In many people with TEN, 30 percent or more of the body surface peels away. The affected areas are painful and patients feel very ill with chills and fever. In some patients, the hair and nails fall out. The active stage of rash and skin loss can last between 1 and 14 days.

The skin loss in TEN is similar to a severe burn and is equally life threatening. A person who has this disorder is very susceptible to organ failure and infection at the sites of damaged, exposed tissues. Such infections are the most common cause of death in people with this disorder.

Quinolone SJS Lawsuits

Although Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a relatively rare reaction to quinolone antibiotics, manufacturers have a duty to warn patients of the potentially life-threatening reaction that has been noted in response to several quinolone antibiotics.

Many patients who have developed SJS or TEN as a result of taking quinolone antibiotics have filed SJS lawsuits against the drugs’ manufacturers. The SJS lawsuits seek to compensate victims for their injuries.