Information ⬇
- Respiratory diphtheria: Upper respiratory tract illness due to C. diphtheriae typically has a 2- to 5-day incubation period and is diagnosed on the basis of a constellation of sore throat; low-grade fever; and a tonsillar, pharyngeal, or nasal pseudomembrane.
- - Unlike that of GAS pharyngitis, the pseudomembrane of diphtheria is tightly adherent; dislodging the membrane usually causes bleeding.
- - Massive swelling of the tonsils and “bull-neck” diphtheria resulting from submandibular and paratracheal edema can develop. This illness is further characterized by foul breath, thick speech, and stridorous breathing.
- - Respiratory tract obstruction due to swelling and sloughing of the pseudomembrane can be fatal.
- - Neurologic manifestations may appear during the first 2 weeks of illness, beginning with dysphagia and nasal dysarthria and progressing to cranial nerve involvement (e.g., weakness of the tongue, facial numbness, blurred vision due to ciliary paralysis).
- Several weeks later, generalized sensorimotor polyneuropathy with prominent autonomic dysfunction (including hypotension) may occur.
- Pts who survive the acute phase gradually improve.
- Cutaneous diphtheria: This variable dermatosis is generally characterized by punched-out ulcerative lesions with necrotic sloughing or pseudomembrane formation. Pts typically present to medical care because of nonhealing or enlarging ulcers; the lesions rarely exceed 5 cm in diameter.
Outline ⬆
Section 7. Infectious Diseases
- 78. Infections Acquired in Health Care Facilities
- 79. Infections in the Immunocompromised Host
- 80. Infective Endocarditis
- 81. Intraabdominal Infections
- 82. Infectious Diarrheas
- 83. Sexually Transmitted and Reproductive Tract Infections
- 84. Infections of the Skin, Soft Tissues, Joints, and Bones
- 85. Pneumococcal Infections
- 86. Staphylococcal Infections
- 87. Streptococcal/Enterococcal Infections, Diphtheria, and Infections Caused by Other Corynebacteria and Related Species
- 88. Meningococcal and Listerial Infections
- 89. Infections Caused by Haemophilus, Bordetella, Moraxella, and HACEK Group Organisms
- 90. Diseases Caused by Gram-Negative Enteric Bacteria and Pseudomonas
- 91. Infections Caused by Miscellaneous Gram-Negative Bacilli
- 92. Anaerobic Infections
- 93. Nocardiosis, Actinomycosis, and Whipple's Disease
- 94. Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Infections
- 95. Lyme Disease and Other Nonsyphilitic Spirochetal Infections
- 96. Rickettsial Diseases
- 97. Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, Legionella Species, and Chlamydia Pneumoniae
- 98. Chlamydia Trachomatis and C. Psittaci
- 99. Herpesvirus Infections
- 100. Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus Infections
- 101. Influenza and Other Viral Respiratory Diseases
- 102. Rubeola, Rubella, Mumps, and Parvovirus Infections
- 103. Enteroviral Infections
- 104. Insect- and Animal-Borne Viral Infections
- 105. HIV Infection and AIDS
- 106. Fungal Infections
- 107. Pneumocystis Infections
- 108. Protozoal Infections
- 109. Helminthic Infections and Ectoparasite Infestations