A family in the United Kingdom is considering legal action after their child developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome after taking ibuprofen.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the body attacks itself. In the case of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, sometimes called SJS, the body attacks the skin.

SJS symptoms start with generalized symptoms similar to the flu, but rapidly progress to a painful skin rash. But even this skin rash is an earlier SJS symptom, and it rapidly progresses to sores and ulcers. The damage can also spread to the eyes and organs.

In this case, a 13-year-old from Littleport, Cambridgeshire had a minor viral infection. Physicians prescribed a single dose of a Nurofen, a formulation of ibuprofen.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a relatively rare disorder, and the child’s physicians initially diagnosed and treated his illness as chickenpox. However, the child’s disease escalated rapidly, and required emergency care.

The child’s Stevens Johnson Syndrome escalated to a more severe form of the disorder called toxic epidermal necrolysis, or TEN. Toxic epidermal necrolysis caused the child’s skin to blister and eventually 65 percent of his skin was lost. During this time, the child’s fingernails even fell out. The boy required three days of life support to survive the ordeal. And even then the child faces a lifetime of complications.

After nearly two years of recovery, physicians recently told the child and his family that the severe damage to his eyes will most likely cause permanent blindness, a potential complication in all cases of SJS and TEN. His parents have stated that this has left their young teenager severely depressed.

This UK family is considering legal action against the hospital that diagnosed their child as having SJS. The family has alleged that doctors’ initial misdiagnosis of chickenpox may have complicated their child’s Stevens Johnson Syndrome and subsequent toxic epidermal necrolysis. Similar lawsuits in the United States have successfully received multi-million dollar awards to help cover medical costs, rehabilitation, and lost income potential.

SJS lawsuits have been filed by patients — and in some cases their next of kin — against both hospitals and drug makers. SJS lawsuits against hospitals and other healthcare providers typically allege that misdiagnosis of SJS in its earlier stages complicates treatment.

SJS lawsuits against drug makers typically allege that drug makers were aware — or reasonably should have been aware — of the risk of SJS and TEN associated with their drugs yet did not do enough to protect the public from the risk of these serious reactions.