Diphtheria

Introduction: Diphtheria

Diphtheria: Diphtheria usually affects the tonsils, throat, nose, or skin. Like tetanus, it is caused by the toxin, or poison, of a bacterium, but it ... more about Diphtheria.

Diphtheria: Infectious bacterial respiratory disease. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Diphtheria is available below.

Symptoms of Diphtheria

• Respiratory Diphtheria symptoms:
  • Sore throat
  • Low-grade fever
  • Increased pulse
  • Adherent membrane of the tonsils, pharynx, or nose

See full list of 20 symptoms of Diphtheria

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Diphtheria:

• Cold & Flu: Home Testing:
  • Home Fever Tests
  • Home Ear Infection Tests
  • Home Flu Tests

Medical Textbooks Online about Diphtheria

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Diphtheria?

• Misdiagnosis of Diphtheria

Misdiagnosis and Diphtheria

Sinusitis is overdiagnosed: There is a tendency to give a diagnosis of sinusitis, when the condition is really a harmless complication of another infection, such as a common cold....read more »

Whooping cough often undiagnosed: Although most children in the Western world have been immunized against whooping cough (also called "pertussis"), this protection wears off after about 15 years. Thus, any teen or adult with a...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Diphtheria

Causes of Diphtheria

Read more about causes of Diphtheria.

Treatments for Diphtheria

• Hospitalization
• Intensive care treatment
• Bed rest
• Intravenous fluids
• Diphtheria antitoxin injection

See full list of 10 treatments for Diphtheria

Videos for Diphtheria

Patient Surveys for Diphtheria

• Patient Profile Survey
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• Survey about the symptoms of your Diphtheria
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Reseach about Diphtheria

Visit our research pages for current research about Diphtheria treatments.

Clinical Trials for Diphtheria

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Diphtheria include:

• Safety and Immune Response of Different Pediatric Combination Vaccines. - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Safety and Immunogenicity of DAPTACEL as 5th Dose in Children 4 to 6 Years Old After 4 Doses of Pentacel or DAPTACEL - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Comparison of Safety and Immunogenicity of Pediacel and Infanrix IPV+Hib (Penta) Given in a 3 Dose Schedule in Infants - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Safety of DTaP-IPV-HB-PRP~T Combined Vaccine Compared to Tritanrix-HepB/Hib and OPV Given at Age 2, 4, and 6 Months. - This study is not yet open for patient recruitment (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Immunogenicity of DTaP-IPV-HB-PRP~T Combined Vaccine Compared With PENTAXIM and ENGERIX B at 2-3-4 Months Schedule - This study is not yet open for patient recruitment (Current: 23 Nov 2006)

See full list of 71 Clinical Trials for Diphtheria

Prevention of Diphtheria

Prevention information for Diphtheria has been compiled from various data sources and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Diphtheria.

• Diphtheria vaccination
• DTP vaccination - combined vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough)
• DTPa vaccinations - acellular improved version of DTP
• Combined diphtheria-tetanus vaccine

Read more about prevention of Diphtheria

Statistics for Diphtheria

• Medical statistics for Diphtheria
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Diphtheria
• Death and Mortality statistics for Diphtheria
• Society statistics for Diphtheria

Types of Diphtheria

• Respiratory diphtheria
• Cutaneous diphtheria
• Malignant diphtheria
• Nasal diphtheria - mostly in infants, affecting the nasal membranes.

Read more about Types of Diphtheria

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User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Diphtheria, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
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Article Excerpts about Diphtheria

Diphtheria usually affects the tonsils, throat, nose, or skin. Like tetanus, it is caused by the toxin, or poison, of a bacterium, but it can spread from an infected person to the nose or throat of others. (Source: excerpt from Shots for Safety - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Definitions of Diphtheria:

A species of gram-positive, asporogenous bacteria in which three cultural types are recognized. These types (gravis, intermedius, and mitis) were originally given in accordance with the clinical severity of the cases from which the different strains were most frequently isolated. This species is the causative agent of DIPHTHERIA. - (Source - Diseases Database)

Acute contagious infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae; marked by the formation of a false membrane in the throat and other air passages causing difficulty in breathing - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Diphtheria as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet