What type of precaution is diphtheria?

What type of precaution is diphtheria?

Use standard precautions with additional respiratory precautions for respiratory tract diphtheria, and standard precautions with additional contact precautions for cutaneous diphtheria, until the case is shown to be clear of carriage via two negative cultures taken at least 24 hours apart, collected at least 24 hours …

Is diphtheria contact or droplet precautions?

Diphtheria bacteria usually spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, like from coughing or sneezing. Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by strains of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae that make a toxin (poison). It is the toxin that can cause people to get very sick.

Which type of isolation precaution is essential for the patient diagnosed with diphtheria?

Respiratory diphtheria usually occurs after an incubation period of 2-5 days. 1. Place patient immediately in isolation room (or area) and apply standard, droplet and contact precautions when caring for the patient.

Which precautions are necessary when caring for a patient with pharyngeal diphtheria?

1. Hospitalized patients with confirmed pharyngeal diphtheria should be cared for using droplet precautions until they have completed antimicrobial therapy and two cultures taken at least 24 hours apart, and at least 24 hours after cessation of antimicrobial therapy, fail to show diphtheria organisms.

What do you do if you have diphtheria?

Treatment

1. Antibiotics. Antibiotics, such as penicillin or erythromycin, help kill bacteria in the body, clearing up infections.
2. 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.

What happens if diphtheria is left untreated?

Left untreated, diphtheria can lead to: Breathing problems. Diphtheria-causing bacteria may produce a toxin. This toxin damages tissue in the immediate area of infection — usually, the nose and throat.

How fast does diphtheria spread?

People infected with the diphtheria bacteria, even if they don’t have any symptoms, can infect others for up to 4 weeks. The incubation period (the time it takes for a person to become infected after being exposed) for diphtheria is 2 to 4 days, although it can range from 1 to 6 days.