Castanada With Stevens-Johnson Syndrome: A Case Study

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A young mother is in intensive care after having a rare but serious reaction to a friend's prescription antibiotics that caused her to "burn" from the inside out. Yassmeen Castanada, 19, wasn't feeling well on Thanksgiving, so she took a pill that her friend had left over from a previous illness. Soon, Castanada's eyes, nose and throat began to burn, and she was rushed to the emergency room, her mother, Laura Corona, told ABC News. Her body erupted in blisters over the next few days, Corona said. She had to be sedated and placed on a ventilator. "Her face changed within four days," Corona told ABC News. "I would wipe her face and all the skin was just falling off." Doctors diagnosed Castanada with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare but serious drug reaction that can occur even when drugs are taken as prescribed…show more content…
"Your whole body is in excruciating pain." Castanada was eventually transferred to the University of California Irvine's burn unit, where doctors said over 70 percent of her body was damaged, Corona said. She's undergone several surgeries over the past few weeks, but her feet are still blistering. Zeichner said he sees it most often with antibiotics, but MacKinnon said this sometimes fatal reaction is different from most reactions to antibiotics, which are usually limited to gastrointestinal symptoms. "Unfortunately, we have no way of predicting who would have this type reaction," Zeichner said, advising that patients only take prescriptions given to them by their doctors. He said they should report any reactions following new medicines immediately to their doctors. And, if necessary, go to the emergency room. PHOTO: Yaasmeen Castanada is in intensive care after having a severe allergic reaction to a mediation that caused her body to burn from the inside out. Laura

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