Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Treating Stevens-Johnson syndrome
If Stevens-Johnson syndrome is suspected, you or your child will be immediately referred to hospital for treatment. Without treatment, the symptoms can become very severe and be life-threatening.
Severe cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome may need to be treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) or burns unit.
The first step is to stop taking any medications that may be causing Stevens-Johnson syndrome. However, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which medication is causing it, so stopping all non-essential medications may be recommended.
Treatment for relief of symptoms while in hospital may include:
- strong painkillers to help ease the pain of any raw areas of skin
- cool, moist compresses held against the skin dead skin may be gently removed and a sterile dressing placed over the affected area
- regularly applying a plain (unscented) moisturiser to the skin
- replacement fluids you may receive fluids and nutrition through a tube thats passed through your nose and into your stomach (a nasogastric tube)
- mouthwashes containing anaesthetic and/or antiseptic to temporarily numb your mouth and make swallowing easier
- a short course of corticosteroid tablets (topical corticosteroids) to control skin inflammation (only on specialist advice)
- antibiotics if blood poisoning (sepsis) is suspected
- eyedrops or eye ointment for eye-related symptoms
Once the cause of Stevens-Johnson syndrome has been identified and successfully treated (in the case of an infection), or stopped (in the case of medication), the skin reaction will stop. New skin may start to grow after a few days.
However, the length of time it takes to recover from Stevens-Johnson syndrome will depend on how severe it is, and it can sometimes take many weeks or months to fully recover.
If the cause was an adverse reaction to medication, you'll need to avoid that medication and possibly other similar medications for the rest of your life. The doctor treating you will be able to advise you further about this.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Read about Stevens-Johnson syndrome, which is a rare but serious disorder that affects the skin and mucous membranes.
Symptoms of Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Skin pain is the most common symptom of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Flu-like symptoms are also usually present during the initial stages, and may include: feeling generally unwell a high temperatur
Causes of Stevens-Johnson syndrome
In children, Stevens-Johnson syndrome is usually triggered by a viral infection, such as mumps flu herpes-simplex virus, which causes cold sores Coxsackie virus, which causes Bornholm diseas
Risk factors
Risk factors for Stevens-Johnson syndrome may include: viral infections such as herpes, hepatitis, viral pneumonia or HIV a weakened immune system as a result of HIV or AIDS , autoimmune condi
Diagnosing Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Stevens-Johnson syndrome should be diagnosed by a dermatologist (skin specialist). A diagnosis is often based on a combination of your: symptoms physical examination medical history (including any
Treating Stevens-Johnson syndrome
If Stevens-Johnson syndrome is suspected, you or your child will be immediately referred to hospital for treatment. Without treatment, the symptoms can become very severe and be life-threatening. Sev
Complicationsof Stevens-Johnson syndrome
As Stevens-Johnson syndrome severely affects the skin and mucous membranes, it can cause a number of complications. These include: skin changes when your skin grows back it may be uneven in colour
Preventing Stevens-Johnson syndrome
If Stevens-Johnson syndrome has been caused by an adverse reaction to a medication, you'll need to avoid taking this medication and other similar medications. Other family members may also want to avo
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