Treatment

Diphtheria is a serious illness. Doctors treat it immediately and aggressively. Doctors first ensure the airway isn't blocked or reduced. In some cases, they may need to place a breathing tube in the throat to keep the airway open until the airway is less inflamed. Treatments include:

• Antibiotics. Antibiotics, such as penicillin or erythromycin, help kill bacteria in the body, clearing up infections. Antibiotics cut the time that someone with diphtheria is contagious.

• An antitoxin. If a doctor suspects diphtheria, he or she will request a medication that counteracts the diphtheria toxin in the body from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Called an antitoxin, this drug is injected into a vein or muscle.

  Before giving an antitoxin, doctors may perform skin allergy tests. These are done to make sure that the infected person doesn't have an allergy to the antitoxin. If someone has an allergy, the doctor will likely recommend that they don't get the antitoxin.

Children and adults who have diphtheria often need to be in the hospital for treatment. They may be isolated in an intensive care unit because diphtheria can spread easily to anyone not immunized against the disease.

Preventive treatments

If you've been exposed to a person infected with diphtheria, see a doctor for testing and possible treatment. Your doctor may give you a prescription for antibiotics to help prevent you from developing the disease. You may also need a booster dose of the diphtheria vaccine.

People found to be carriers of diphtheria are treated with antibiotics to clear their systems of the bacteria, as well.