Diphtheria is an acute bacterial disease that can infect the body in two areas: the throat (respiratory diphtheria) and the skin (skin or cutaneous diphtheria). The diphtheria bacterium can enter the body through the nose and mouth. However, it can also enter through a break in the skin. It is transmitted from person to person by respiratory secretions or droplets in the air. After being exposed to the bacterium, it usually takes 2 to 4 days for symptoms to develop. Diphtheria Clinical Features Incubation period 2 -5 days (range, 1 -10 days) May involve any mucous membrane Classified based on site of infection: *anterior nasal * pharyngeal and tonsillar *laryngeal *cutaneous *ocular Symptoms *genital Skin (cutaneous) diphtheria With Respiratory diphtheria · breathing difficulty · husky voice · enlarged lymph glands · increased heart rate · stridor (a shrill breathing sound heard on inspiration) · nasal drainage · swelling of the palate (roof of the mouth) · sore throat · low-grade fever · malaise this type of diphtheria, the symptoms are usually milder and may include yellow spots or sores (similar to impetigo) on the skin.
Treatment. The antitoxin, injected into a vein or muscle, neutralizes the diphtheria toxin already circulating in the body. Before giving antitoxin, doctors may perform skin allergy tests to make sure that the infected person doesn't have an allergy to the antitoxin. Antibiotics. Diphtheria is also treated with antibiotics, such as penicillin or erythromycin. Antibiotics help kill bacteria in the body, clearing up infections. Antibiotics reduce to just a few days the length of time that a person with diphtheria is contagious. Children and adults who have diphtheria often need to be in the hospital for treatment. Doctors may remove some of the thick, gray covering in the throat if the covering is obstructing breathing. Preventive treatments . If you've been exposed to a person infected with diphtheria, see a doctor for testing and possible treatment. Your doctor may give you a prescription for antibiotics to help prevent you from developing the disease. You may also need a booster dose of the diphtheria vaccine. Doctors treat people who are found to be carriers of diphtheria with antibiotics to clear their systems of the bacteria, as well.
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