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[Principles of treatment and nursing of children with diphtheria (author's transl)]
Insights
Diphtheria treatment requires hospitalization and prolonged bed rest for children. Antibiotics are crucial for all forms, while heart failure necessitates digitalization, and myocarditis benefits from glucocorticoids.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
Context:
- Current epidemic highlights the need for specialized pediatric hospital admission for diphtheria cases.
- Diphtheria management requires prolonged strict bed rest (3-4 weeks).
Purpose:
- To outline current principles for managing diphtheria, including complications like circulatory weakness, myocardial damage, and paralysis.
- To provide guidance on critical interventions such as digitalization, glucocorticoid use, antibiotic therapy, and tracheotomy.
Summary:
- Hospitalized diphtheria patients require extensive bed rest and management of circulatory and cardiac issues.
- Glucocorticoids are effective for myocarditis, and digitalization is indicated for confirmed heart failure.
- Antibiotics are standard for all diphtheria forms and associated paralyses; timely tracheotomy is essential for croup.
Impact:
- Optimized treatment protocols for diphtheria can improve patient outcomes, particularly in pediatric cases.
- Highlights the importance of specialized nursing care and empathy for children with diphtheria.
Abstract:
The principles of treatment of diphtheria are discussed: in the present epidemic situation, diphtheritic children must be admitted to a pediatric hospital. The children need at least 3 to 4 weeks, to a large extent strict, bed rest. The basic concepts of the treatment of both peripheral circulatory weaknesses and of myocardial damage are communicated. Glucocorticoids have proved their value in myocarditis. Prophylactic digitalization is to be rejected. Confirmed heart failure is a binding indication for digitalization. A causal therapy for para- and metadiphtheritic paralysis does not exist. All forms must be treated with antibiotics nowadays. In croup, tracheotomy must not be delayed too long. The nursing must be left the best staff only and requires, in addition to a fundamental knowledge of the disease picture, an exceptional empathy in the particular, especially psychic, situation of the sick children.
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