Prevention/Treatment
Diphtheria is preventable with a vaccine.
After doctors confirm a preliminary diagnosis of diphtheria, the infected child
or adult receives an antitoxin. 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. People who are allergic must
first be desensitized to the antitoxin. Doctors accomplish this by initially
giving small doses of the antitoxin and then gradually increasing the dosage, diphtheria is also treated with antibiotics, such as penicillin or erythromycin.
or adult receives an antitoxin. 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. People who are allergic must
first be desensitized to the antitoxin. Doctors accomplish this by initially
giving small doses of the antitoxin and then gradually increasing the dosage, diphtheria is also treated with antibiotics, such as penicillin or erythromycin.