Acute respiratory tract infection typically presenting as a membranous pharyngitis, caused by the gram-positive facultative anaerobic bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae
Greek name ...
Membranous pharyngotonsillar diphtheria
Sore throat
Malaise, fever, and prostration
Nasal diphtheria
Rhinorrhea (often unilateral)
Often chronic, mild course
Obstructive laryngotracheit...
Appropriate health care generally entails:
Consider admission to monitor cardiac and respiratory status (must act on presumptive diagnosis because therapy cannot wait for cu...
ECG, cardiac enzymes, neurologic status, and respiratory status; seri...
American Academy of Pediatrics. Diphtheria. In: Pickering LK, Baker CJ, Kimberlin DW, et al, eds. Red Book: 2009 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 28th ed. Elk Grove ...
A36.9 Diphtheria, unspecified
A36.0 Pharyngeal diphtheria
A36.1 Nasopharyngeal diphtheria
Culture, check immunization status, and consider antimicrobial prophylaxis (penicillin or erythromycin) for close contacts of known cases of C. diphtheriae.
Tdap is routinely recommende...
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Diphtheric myocarditis. Focal degeneration of cardiac myocytes is evident.