Woman's Skin Peels Off After Allergic Reaction to Drug, Illinois Nursing Home Faces Lawsuit
Earlene Taylor had been a resident of River Bluffs Health Care and Rehabilitation Center of Cahokia and its successor, Atrium Health Care and Rehabilitation Center of Cahokia, since 1996. Facility staff should have been aware of Ms. Taylor's allergies, including her allergy to any medications containing Sulfonamide.
Ms. Taylor had just been readmitted to the facility after being treated at Kenneth Hall Hospital for asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Upon readmission, facility staff puportedly failed to include her allergies on her admission and assessment form. Doctors at Kenneth Hall prescribed Bactrim to treat Ms. Taylor. According to the lawsuit filed by Rosetta Helms on behalf of Earlene Taylor's Estate, "As a direct and proximate result of the aforesaid negligent acts or omissions, on or about November 20, 2007, the plaintiff's decedent sustained a severe reaction to the administration of Bactrim, D.S., she developed multiple large open areas in the skin over large portions of her body, portions of her skin sloughed off; the skin over her entire body became 'tented' and she developed red blistering over the back of her legs, her neck, and her back and she developed toxic epidermal necroysis, causing her skin to slough off, she lost 55% of her active skin, she had a positive Nikolsky sign, she had whole body erythema, lesions, blisters, and sloughing; that the aforementioned conditions caused extreme pain and suffering and she was admitted to a burn unit, where, on or about, November 24, 2007, she died."
The thirty-eight count suit against seventeen defendants seeks a judgment in excess of $1.9 million.
The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling cases of wrongful death. Please contact us with any questions or concerns at (888) 317-2525 or visit us on our website at www.nursinghomejustice.com.
