Diphtheria treatment today involves:
Using diphtheria antitoxin
Can diphtheria be cured?
Before antibiotics were available, diphtheria was a common illness in young children. Today,
the disease is not only treatable but also preventable with a vaccine
. The diphtheria vaccine is usually combined with vaccines for tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis).
What is the best treatment to treat diphtheria?
- Antibiotics. Antibiotics, such as penicillin or erythromycin, help kill bacteria in the body, clearing up infections. …
- An antitoxin. If a doctor suspects diphtheria, he or she will request a medication that counteracts the diphtheria toxin in the body from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What antibiotics are used to treat diphtheria?
Antibiotics. The recommended antibiotics for respiratory or cutaneous diphtheria is either
erythromycin or penicillin
.
How is diphtheria treated and prevented?
Your doctor will prescribe
diphtheria antitoxin to stop damage to organs and antibiotics
, typically penicillin or erythromycin, to fight the infection. People with diphtheria are kept in isolation to prevent others from becoming infected.
Where is diphtheria most commonly found?
Endemic in many countries in
Asia
, the South Pacific, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Since 2016, respiratory diphtheria outbreaks have occurred in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Venezuela, Haiti, South Africa, and Yemen.
What is the main cause of diphtheria?
Diphtheria is a
serious infection caused by strains of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae
that make a toxin (poison). It is the toxin that can cause people to get very sick. Diphtheria bacteria spread from person to person, usually through respiratory droplets
Who is most likely to get diphtheria?
Children under 5 and adults over 60 years old
are particularly at risk for getting it. People living in crowded or unclean conditions, those who aren’t well nourished, and children and adults who don’t have up-to-date immunizations are also at risk.
How common is diphtheria now?
In the 1920s, there were between 100,000 and 200,000 cases of diphtheria each year with 13,000–15,000 deaths. Because of widespread immu- nization and better living conditions,
diphtheria is now rare in the United States
(during 2004–2017, state health departments reported 2 cases of diphtheria in the United States).
How do I get rid of diphtheria toxin?
- Using diphtheria antitoxin to stop the toxin made by the bacteria from damaging the body. This treatment is very important for respiratory diphtheria infections, but it is rarely used for diphtheria skin infections.
- Using antibiotics to kill and get rid of the bacteria.
Which organ is affected by diphtheria?
Diphtheria can infect
the respiratory tract
(parts of the body involved in breathing) and skin. In the respiratory tract, it causes a thick, gray coating to build up in the throat or nose. This coating can make it hard to breathe and swallow.
What are the long term effects of diphtheria?
Damage to the heart muscle (myocarditis) Nerve damage
(polyneuropathy) Loss of the ability to move (paralysis) Kidney failure.
How long is diphtheria contagious for?
Untreated patients who are infected with the diphtheria germ may be contagious for
up to four weeks
. If the patient is treated appropriately, the contagious period can be limited to less than four days.
Can you still get diphtheria if vaccinated?
You cannot get diphtheria from the vaccine
. FACT: Diphtheria can be prevented with safe and effective vaccines. FACT: You cannot get diphtheria from the vaccine. infected person’s nose, throat, eyes and/or skin lesions.
What are the 5 types of diphtheria?
- classical respiratory diphtheria.
- laryngeal diphtheria.
- nasal diphtheria and.
- cutaneous diphtheria (skin lesions).
