What was to be a simple post-delivery convalescence turned into a medical nightmare for Aleshia Rogers. This 27 -year -old American mother developed a serious reaction to ibuprofen, a medication she had taken for her 14 years without any problem. Three weeks after her emergency cesarean, this infantile education technician in Nebraska saw her skin detaching herself in plates, diving in an artificial coma of three weeks with only 5 to 10 % of survival.
Unlike the classic allergies that appear from the first to take, Stevens-Johnson syndrome can occur after years of an incident of a medication. This autoimmune pathology causes widespread inflammation where the immune system attacks the body’s tissues, especially the skin and mucous membranes.
An initial erroneous diagnosis which delays the management
The first symptoms of Aleshia Rogers manifest themselves three weeks after her cesarean, while she follows ibuprofen treatment to relieve her post-operative pain. Swelling of the face accompanied by a rash on the chest leads him to consult in the emergency room, says the Sun. Doctors then evoke scarlatin or conjunctivitis and recommend that he continue his painkiller treatment.
This initial diagnostic error is dramatic. In just a few hours, Aleshia’s face is covered with blisters that make her unrecognizable in the eyes of her family. Back in the emergency room, she finally receives the right diagnosis: Stevens-Johnson syndrome. It is a serious disease that causes destruction and detachment of the skin and mucous membranes on a small part of the body (less than 10 % of the total surface). It is a hypersensitivity reaction, often serious, generally triggered by certain drugs such as sulfonamides, antibiotics or anticonvulsants. You can also see it after an infection or vaccination, especially in children.
In the case of Aleshia, the disease progresses towards its most severe form, toxic epidermal necrolysis. According to doctors, 90 to 95 % of the young mother’s skin stands out by plates in a process called “skin detachment”. This massive loss of the protective envelope of the body triggers septicemia and multi-organic failure which require an artificial coma and major surgical interventions.
Long recovery with lasting consequences
During her three weeks of coma, Aleshia undergoes skin excision on the whole body followed by skin transplants, as well as transplantation of an ocular amniotic membrane, to preserve her vision. When she woke up, she discovers the extent of the damage: significant memory loss, permanent scars and complications that still persist today, five years after the episode. “I had absolutely no idea what had happened to me. I forgot that I had given birth. I lost a lot of memories,” said the young woman. This unpredictability is the most disturbing aspect of Stevens-Johnson syndrome: no test allows you to develop this reaction and no preventive treatment exists.
The message of Aleshia Rogers aims to raise awareness without alarming: it encourages vigilance in the face of unusual reactions to drugs while recalling that such cases remain exceptional. His survival, described as “miraculous” by the medical team, gives him today a particular perspective on existence: “I live my life as if tomorrow was not promised and I try not to live in fear.”