DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis)
What is diphtheria?


Diphtheria is an acute bacterial disease that can infect the body in two areas: the throat (respiratory diphtheria) and the skin (skin or cutaneous diphtheria). A common childhood disease in the 1930s, a vaccine against diphtheria has made it very rare in the US and other developing countries today.

How is diphtheria transmitted?


The diphtheria bacterium can enter the body through the nose and mouth. However, it can also enter through a break in the skin. It is transmitted from person to person by respiratory secretions or droplets in the air. After being exposed to the bacterium, it usually takes 2 to 4 days for symptoms to develop.


Symptoms of diphtheria


The following are the most common symptoms of diphtheria. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:


Respiratory diphtheria
When a person is infected with diphtheria, the bacterium usually multiplies in the throat, leading to the respiratory version of diphtheria. A membrane may form over the throat and tonsils, causing a sore throat. Other common symptoms of respiratory diphtheria may include:
· breathing difficulty
· husky voice
· enlarged lymph glands
· increased heart rate
· stridor (a shrill breathing sound heard on inspiration)
· nasal drainage
· swelling of the palate (roof of the mouth)
· sore throat
· low-grade fever
· malaise
Persons may die from asphyxiation when the membrane obstructs breathing. Other complications of respiratory diphtheria are caused by the diphtheria toxin released in the blood, leading to heart failure.

Skin (cutaneous) diphtheria
With this type of diphtheria, the symptoms are usually milder and may include yellow spots or sores (similar to impetigo) on the skin.
The symptoms of diphtheria may resemble other medical conditions. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.


Treatment of diphtheria


Specific treatment for diphtheria will be determined by your physician based on:
· your overall health and medical history
· extent of the condition
· your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
· expectations for the course of the condition
· your opinion or preference
Penicillin is usually effective in treating respiratory diphtheria before it releases toxins in the blood. An antitoxin can be given in combination with the penicillin, if diphtheria is suspected. Sometimes a tracheostomy (a breathing tube surgically inserted in the windpipe) is necessary if the patient has severe breathing difficulties.


Prevention of diphtheria


Children are routinely given a triple vaccine that includes diphtheria in their first year. Because diphtheria still prevails in underdeveloped countries, the vaccine remains necessary in case of exposure to a carrier visiting from abroad.
 
Tetanus

Tetanus is an acute, sometimes fatal, disease of the central nervous system, caused by the toxin of the tetanus bacterium, which usually enters the body through an open wound. The tetanus bacterium live in soil and manure, but also can be found in the human intestine and other places.

Symptoms of tetanus

The following are the most common symptoms of tetanus. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
· stiffness of jaw (also called lockjaw)
· stiffness of abdominal and back muscles
· contraction of facial muscles
· fast pulse
· fever
· sweating
· painful muscle spasms (if these affect the larynx or chest wall, they may cause asphyxiation)
The symptoms of tetanus may resemble other medical conditions. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.


Treatment for tetanus:

Specific treatment for tetanus will be determined by your physician(s) based on:
· your overall health and medical history
· extent of the disease
· your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
· expectations for the course of the disease
· your opinion or preference

Treatment for tetanus may include:

· a course of tetanus antitoxin injections
· a tracheostomy (a breathing tube inserted surgically in the windpipe) in severe cases (with respiratory problems)

Prevention of tetanus

A DTP vaccine that includes tetanus is routinely given during childhood (the other two diseases included are diphtheria and pertussis). Booster immunization shots are needed every 10 years.

 
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
Whooping cough, or pertussis, mainly affects infants and young children. Caused by a bacterium, it is characterized by paroxysms (intense fits or spells) of coughing that end with the characteristic whoop as air is inhaled. Whooping cough caused thousands of deaths in the 1930s and 1940s, but, with the advent of a vaccine, the rate of death has declined dramatically.

Symptoms of whooping cough

The disease usually takes one to three weeks to incubate. The following are the most common symptoms of whooping cough. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
· coughing
· sneezing
· nasal discharge
· fever
· sore, watery eyes
· whooping
· lips, tongue, and nailbeds may turn blue during coughing spells
Whooping cough can last up to 10 weeks and can lead to pneumonia.
The symptoms of whooping cough may resemble other medical conditions. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.


How is whooping cough diagnosed?

In addition to a complete medical history and medical examination, diagnosis of whooping cough is often confirmed with a culture taken from the nose.

Treatment for whooping cough

Specific treatment for whooping cough will be determined by your physician based on:
· your overall health and medical history
· extent of the condition
· your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
· expectations for the course of the condition
· your opinion or preference
Antibiotics are generally not helpful once severe coughing has begun but does help to prevent the spread of infection after 3 to 4 days of treatment. Other treatment may include:
· keeping warm
· eating small, frequent meals
· drinking plenty of fluids
· reducing stimuli that may provoke coughing
Hospitalization may be required in severe cases.


Prevention of whooping cough

Although a vaccine has been developed against whooping cough, which is routinely given to children in the first year of life, cases of the disease still occur, especially in infants younger than 6 months of age.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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