What is SJS
Stevens-Johnson syndrome, also called SJS, is a severe reaction to medicine, or sometimes affected by virus, that causes your skin to blister and peel off and affects your mucus membranes. It’s a deadly disease that even if you are treated with great care and recovered, you are very like to lose your sight and even go blind.
* SJS often causes acutely rash of round lesions in the whole body and blisters.

People Prone to SJS
Almost any drug can cause SJS. It does not discriminate against anyone. However, it appears that patients of Asian descent are at greatest risk for developing SJS. Taiwan has increased 200 more SJS cases year by year. According to National Health Insurance Administration, patients in the countryside develop rather severe adverse skin reactions than those living in the city. The reason behind it is probably because both the patients and the doctors are not as careful and knowledgeable when using and administering drugs.

SJS Conditions
SJS usually begins with fever, sore throat, and fatigue. Ulcers and other lesions later appear in the mucous membranes and skin literally sloughs off. Blisters and erosions cover less than 10% of the body in SJS and over 30% in TEN(Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis).
* Ulcers and other lesions begin to appear in the mucous membranes, almost always in the mouth and lips.

SJS Sequelae
Includes, organ damage/failure, cornea scratching, and blindness; burn-like scarring of skin and permanent pigment loss, causing cicatricial tissue.
* The picture on the right is TEN, which seems to be burn-like scarring of skin that peels off once you touch it. (from Center for Allergy Research from Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital)
 
Causes of SJS

Top 3 Drug Injury Indications in Taiwan

Name	Indications	Non-Indication
Allopurinol	Medicines for gout, a painful form of arthritis	Some use is on hyperuricemia or prevention of cardiovascular disease
Phenytoin	Medicines that treat seizures	Cardiac arrhythmia and chronic neuropathic pain
Carbamazepine	Epilepsy; trigeminal neuralgia; bipolar disorder	Analgesic to treat regular pain in peripheral nerve

 

About Us
SJS tops the charts on the ADR mortality rate here in Taiwan but rarely do people really hear about it. Hence, besides serving the patients, Eden Foundation has been devoting itself to promoting Medication Safety, hoping that the victims of SJS would decrease after public awareness arouses.
SJS Counseling Center ─ Eden Foundation(Bade Office)
Address: No.35, Aly. 4, Ln. 155, Sec. 3, Bade Rd., Songshan Dist., Taipei City 10554, Taiwan (R.O.C.)