Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Diphtheria Attending the Infectious Disease Hospital in...

Diphtheria is a re-emerging disease with a changing epidemiology. It is thus essential to recognize diphtheria's clinical profile, patterns of morbidity and mortality, and the level of immunization. This study aimed to analyze the clinical-epidemiological profile of patients with diphtheria at the Infectious Disease Hospital, New Delhi, India. The present study was a cross-sectional investigation conducted on 94 patients diagnosed with diphtheria. The data collection tool was a questionnaire that had questions eliciting details such as socio-demographic characteristics, clinical history, examination findings, and vaccination history. The case fatality rate was calculated. Means and proportions were also measured, and the significance level was set at P <0.05. The meanSD age of the participants was 94.4 years. Laryngeal involvement was found in 10 (11%) participants. Complete diphtheria vaccination doses were taken by 6 (6.4%) participants. The case fatality rate was 13%, and complications such as neuropathy were found in 21 (22%) cases, cardiac problems in 12 (13%), and respiratory problems in 13 (14%). Longer duration of the illness, delayed presentation, and complications were associated with poor clinical outcomes (P<0.05). The majority of diphtheria cases were 6-10 years old and had a low socio-economic status. Most of them had a partial vaccination against diphtheria. Around one-third of the patients had complications related to diphtheria, and the case fatality rate was also high. Key preventive measures for controlling the deadly diphtheria disease include specialized immunization programs for areas with poor immunization coverage, as well as the early detection and treatment of suspected cases.