A toddler survived thanks only to a ‘miracle’ after suffering a severe allergic reaction to Nurofen, her parents said yesterday.
Macey Marsh’s face broke out in scores of agonising sores and blisters after being given a child’s dose of the painkiller on the recommendation of her GP.
She spent ten days in intensive care with her eyes glued together by mucus as doctors warned her terrified parents, Matt and Sarah, that even if she did live, she might lose her sight.
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Macey Marsh, pictured left before the incident, suffered a horrific allergic reaction to a dose of Nurofen for Children. Doctors warned her parents she was unlikely to survive after her entire body began to blister
To her parents' relief, Macey pulled through after nine days, but may still have permanent damage to her sight
Macey's father said: 'There were times when we were unsure if our little girl would pull through at all, let alone with her eyesight intact'
But to their overwhelming relief, she recovered and reopened her eyes after nine days.
Now they must wait to discover if she has been left with permanent damage to her sight.
The youngster was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a sometimes fatal condition caused by a violent allergic reaction to a virus or a medication.
Mr Marsh, 37, a photographer of Chertsey, Surrey, said: ‘The thought of losing her was just unbearable. We hit rock bottom.
‘Doctors explained her eyes may have started attaching to the inside of her eyelids and her corneas could be so severely damaged she may never see again. It was terrifying.
‘It’s an awful condition, you’re lucky to survive it.
‘She was still blind and her skin was blistering all over her body.’
Her parents Sarah and Matt (pictured before the incident) had taken her to the local GP surgery when she appeared unwell. There, a locum GP prescribed the Nurofen for Children
After nine days of fighting for her life, Macey opened her eyes. A spokesperson for Nurofen said the reaction the toddler had suffered was extremely rare
The family’s nightmare began six weeks ago, when the couple took their daughter to their GP because she had a rash and puffy eyes.
A locum told them she was ‘run down’ and advised taking Nurofen alternated with Calpol.
When her parents checked on her the morning after giving the medicine, her eyes were stuck shut with mucus.
WHAT IS STEVENS JOHNSON SYNDROME?
Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a severe adverse reaction to a medication. It was named after two U.S paediatricians who described it in 1922.
The condition is incurable and 40 per cent of people who contract the condition do not survive.
It affects around two people per million and is more common among women.
Symptoms include skin rashes, blisters in the mouth, ears and nose and swelling of the eyelids.
If left untreated the condition can result in death. Possible complications include permanent blindness and lung damage.
Once diagnosed doctors will immediately stop the patient taking the offending drug.
Treatment includes IV fluids and high calorie formulas to promote healing.
Antibiotics are given when necessary to prevent secondary infections such as sepsis.
Pain medications such as morphine can make the patient more comfortable.
They took her to A&E where scarlet fever was diagnosed and she was sent away with penicillin. The next morning, her face was covered in blisters that were starting to burst and she was in agony.
Her mother, a BA stewardess, called an ambulance and Macey was treated by infectious diseases experts at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, South London who diagnosed Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.
She was given morphine and moved to intensive care. Her parents said they were told it would be a miracle if she survived. Thankfully, she recovered after nine days. ‘Words cannot describe what that was like,’ Mrs Marsh told the Daily Mirror.
Mr Marsh said: ‘We’ve still got a very long road ahead of us and it could take another year for her face to heal properly. Luckily, she’s starting to act like her own bubbly self again.’
The condition, which affects one in 500,000 children and young adults, was named after two US paediatricians. SJS causes the cells in the top layer of the skin to die before shedding.
A spokesman for Nurofen said: ‘We are very sorry to hear about Macey Marsh’s condition and we wish her a swift and full recovery.
‘Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is an extremely rare but known reaction to a multitude of triggers such as infections, medications or illness.
‘The exact cause for the reaction is currently unknown and the reaction is unpredictable.’
She said that although ibuprofen, the active ingredient in Nurofen for Children, has been associated with rare cases of the syndrome, there is no confirmed causal link.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2721797/Nurofen-nearly-killed-daughter-Girl-2-lucky-alive-suffering-horrific-allergic-reaction-childrens-dose-drug.html#ixzz3A8lkIJ9x
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