More often, children under the age of ten are susceptible to this disease. But sometimes adults can catch the infection. What is diphtheria, and what preventive measures can circumvent the disease?
Initially, a person develops a slight malaise, similar to the first symptoms of acute respiratory diseases. The temperature can rise to thirty-eight degrees. Sore throat. At this stage, determining the disease is quite difficult. But after just one or two days, in the area of the tonsils, a plaque characteristic of diphtheria is clearly visible. At first it is thin, transparent and whitish. Condensing quickly, the coating covers all the tonsils and turns gray. The patient's condition is slowly but steadily getting worse. All major signs of acute respiratory illness disappear. Only a slight temperature remains.
Treatment of diphtheria should be started as early as possible, as dangerous complications can occur. This is an infectious toxic shock due to exposure to the toxin, and myocarditis. Also, the disease can lead to degeneration and inflammation of the renal tubules and multiple lesions of the nerve columns. Pain, inflammation, and diphtheria in the throat disappear over time. But such a lull is especially dangerous, because diphtheria exotoxin remains in the body. It quickly enters the bloodstream and, if treatment for diphtheria is not started, first affects the heart, then the kidneys and nervous system.
Therefore, at the first sensation of sore throat and fever, you must consult a doctor. Even if it turns out that this is a sore throat, treatment is best done under his supervision. To confirm the presence of the disease, you need to pass all the necessary tests for diphtheria. A smear is taken from the throat and nose, as well as sowing on a special medium. Diphtheria bacterium is especially active in this area. A day after the onset of the disease, entire colonies of bacteria form in these places. To eliminate all possible complications, tests for diphtheria include the mandatory passage of an ultrasound of the kidneys, ECG and mandatory control of the state of the nervous system. You will also need a general urine and blood test.
Treatment of diphtheria at an early stage of its development will help prevent all possible complications of the disease. The patient must be immediately isolated from society, as the disease is very contagious. It can be transmitted not only by airborne droplets, but also through objects and even food. The only correct treatment method, from the point of view of specialists, is the introduction of anti-diphtheria antitoxic serum to the patient. It quickly neutralizes the toxin in the blood. But those fractions of exotoxin that have already penetrated into the cells, it cannot be eliminated. Therefore, the necessary course of antibacterial drugs is prescribed. Further, to prevent thrombosis and damage to the heart and nervous system, phenylin, heparin and prednisolone are used. To treat diphtheria faster, the doctor will prescribe intramuscular injections of penicillin and erythromycin internally for ten to fourteen days.
What is diphtheria and how to prevent its occurrence? This is a dangerous disease, the causative agent of which is diphtheria bacillus, which is very resistant to various manifestations of the external environment. In medicine, the main preventive measure is vaccination with DTP. It is reliable enough, but in order to constantly maintain immunity, revaccination must be repeated every ten years. Often, adults do not take this issue seriously and therefore are exposed to the disease. In order for the rest of the family not to catch a dangerous infection, it is necessary to hospitalize the patient as soon as possible, as well as to thoroughly disinfect all rooms and objects.