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disease stevens_johnson_syndromeSome symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome includes rashes, blisters, red splotches on the skin, blisters in mucous membranes, swelling of the eyelids, red eyes, persistent fever, flu-like symptoms, conjunctivitis and other effects. Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a rare illness usually the result of allergic reactions to medications.
Although the incidence of Stevens Johnson Syndrome is estimated at just two to seven cases per million people in the U.S. ever year, or around 600 to 2,000 cases annually, efforts to raise awareness of the disease are underway because of the potentially deadly and blinding results. There are drug side effects for any type of medication, but very few people have ever even heard of Stevens Johnson Syndrome in order to recognize symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome.
With the risk for suffering heart attacks and strokes linked to popular medications, skin reactions can seem like a minor risk. Many people are unaware of the devastating and potentially deadly symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Within one week of taking a new drug, symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome will appear among sufferers. The disease attacks the skin and mucous membranes, and people unaware of recognizing symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome can end up blind or dead.
Even doctors are sometimes unfamiliar with recognizing symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, which is critical in avoiding serious and deadly effects. Stevens Johnson Syndrome can result from any drug, but drugs containing sulfa have been most frequently reported in the disease cases. In addition to raising awareness about recognizing and treating symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, the Stevens Johnson Syndrome Foundation is working to create a national system to track incidence of the disease.
Currently, no one tracks cases of the disease nationally, and the unfamiliarity with the condition often leads to initial misdiagnosis. Most recently, Pfizer Inc. strengthened Bextra labeling in December 2004 on skin reactions in a black box warning, the strongest FDA issued drug warning. The skin reactions include Stevens Johnson Syndrome, and even though the Vioxx recall in September 2004 heightened concern about side effects like the skin disease, people are still very unaware of how serious the condition is.
Classic symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome include lesions on mucous membranes and itchy, painful sores and blotches on the skin. They key to avoiding lethal cases of the disease is through early detection and intervention, which cannot occur if symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome are not identified. If any symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome are observed, the new drug that might have caused the reaction should be immediately discontinued.
In February 2005, a group of doctors and families called on federal regulators to warn the public that products containing ibuprofen can cause Stevens Johnson Syndrome. The petition called for warnings on all ibuprofen products highlighting the risk of the disorders and urging consumers to immediately stop the drug if a rash appears. The group asked the FDA to launch an investigation to see if ibuprofen makers withheld critical safety information regarding over-the-counter forms of the drug.
Most people have never heard of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, and that is probably because it only occurs in about five in one million users. A group of doctors and families are now calling on federal regulators to warn the public about this potentially...
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