Stevens Johnson Syndrome

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A friend was diagnosed with SJS and has since been admitted to a hospital in intensive care in the burn unit.  It has affected his eyes, and throat and he is covered in 63% of his body.  He has been in the hospital for 2 weeks, and was told he would be for quite some time.  He is in his early forties and in generally good health.  What is the recovery rate of a patient with these symptoms? He has spiked a temperature and has some sort of infection.  We can not visit him because of the severity of his condition, so it is very frustrating getting information, and ususally we here different "versions" of his condition from his family.  Do you think he at least has a fighting chance??

[National Jewish Health]

The physical extent of the disease suggests that his is a rather severe form of the disease.  The recovery rate in the absence of complications is high, 90 to 95%, but the recovery time may be quite prolonged.  That he has survived the early stage of the disease, is young and otherwise in good health is very much in his favor.

Any judgment of prognosis, in an individual case, is best made by the doctor(s) most intimately involved in his care; those familiar with his course, the occurrence of complications and his response to therapy.  We suggest that you ask one, of the more sympathetic relatives, to pose your questions to your friend's primary physician.