Treatment of diphtheria

Diphtheria is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae acute respiratory infectious diseases, should adopt comprehensive treatment, including anti-toxin, antibiotic therapy, treatment of symptomatic treatment and complications.

Antitoxin treatment: diphtheria bacilli in the growth and reproduction processes continuously release going out toxins. Exotoxin is the major cause of diphtheria disease. Such as toxin has been combined with the Organization, causing damage, cannot be changed. If bacteria secrete toxins without outside combined with the Organization of its destroyed before, you can reduce the damage to the organization. Antitoxin can play a role in this, free external toxins in the blood can be neutral, Exotoxin loses a pathogenic role. Antitoxin, the sooner the better, for diphtheria in suspicious that you should use, such as be confirmed after use, it will be too late. Diphtheria antitoxin is horse blood, injection should allergic skin test before testing. If the skin test is negative, antitoxin intravenous injection. Can be used to inject a vein in the amount required, or intravenous injection half after and the remaining half dose of intramuscular injection, the injection should be diluted before. If the skin test is positive, desensitization therapy, starting from small, multiple injections, injection so far all requirements.

Antibiotic treatment of health: release of Exotoxin is diphtheria bacilli, such as diphtheria bacilli to kill, that is, will not release of Exotoxin a. Effect of antibiotic of choice is penicillin, killing efficacy of diphtheria bacilli. Muscles can be adopted or intravenous injection, the time of 10 days. If you are allergic to penicillin, erythromycin antibiotics instead.

Symptomatic treatment: laryngeal diphtheria if laryngeal obstructive respiratory difficulties, hormone laryngeal edema reduction. If necessary by laryngoscope pseudo membrane absorption will take off. If the symptoms of severe laryngeal obstruction after processing, hypoxia-obvious, must do a tracheotomy. Have heart failure, treatment should be adopted. Digitalis can be applied, but be careful. Due to diphtheria as concurrent myocarditis, for Digitalis tolerance of difference, prone to excessive and Digitalis poisoning, such as blood pressure recovery after the treatment of congestive heart failure, on the need for boosting agent. Also in 39 below body temperature should be controlled, General ensuring nutrient supply.

Complications: myocarditis doses of vitamin c only available treatment. Cardiac insufficiency occurs, comprehensive treatment. General muscle paralysis is no specific treatment methods, natural recovery. Respiratory muscle paralysis, shallow breathing, and available when you need mechanical ventilators, assisted respiration.