Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Sky TV show The Real A&E, a British “fly-on-the-wall” documentary set in UK’s largest accident and emergency department, will feature the story of Charlie Griffiths, a boy who has reoccurring bouts of a serious adverse reaction to medication known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS).

SJS is rare and has been associated with more than 200 medications. Most commonly, it is caused by a reaction to antibiotics, ibuprofen or anti-seizure medication. People with SJS develop a rash on their skin which blisters over, causing the skin to peel off in sheets. Blisters can form in the eyes, internal organs and mouth, which can lead to blindness, organ failure and even death.

Charlie is a 14-year-old from Throntree, Middlesborough who first developed the condition five years ago after a family trip to Greece. The blisters started in his mouth and spread throughout his body and in his eyes. It was baffling to doctors and devastating to family. They still don’t know what medications triggered the attack, but he has suffered more attacks over the years. Two years ago it was so bad, Charlie says he thought he was going to die.

Charlie’s feature in The Real A&E involves an emergency room visit in which Charlie suffers from a nosebleed that won’t stop. His father, who took him to the emergency room, worried that the nosebleed was the first sign of a new onset of SJS. The doctors cauterize the blood vessels in his nostril.

Charlie says he hopes his TV appearance will help educate others about the rare but life-threatening condition known as SJS.

Source: Gazette Live

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