title: Outcomes of respiratory diphtheria in a tertiary referral infectious disease hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diphtheria is a fatal disease and may cause serious complications if not recognized early and treated properly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the epidemiology, clinical features, complications, and outcomes in respiratory diphtheria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diphtheria cases admitted in the infectious disease hospital, Beliaghata, Kolkata, India between January 2009 to January 2011 were evaluated in respect to demographic profile, immunization status, clinical features, complications, and outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  200 diphtheria cases were studied. 150 (75%) patients had history of an adequate immunization, and 100 (50%) patients were from lower socio-economic groups. Common clinical features observed were throat pain in 148 (74%) cases and fever in 112 (56%) cases. Complications observed were myocarditis in 136 (68%) cases, neuropathy in 30 (15%) cases, and respiratory compromise in 14 (7%) cases. Death occurred in 5 (2.5%) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  diphtheria is still a public health problem in many developing countries. Strict public health measures like an increased immunization coverage, improvement of socio-economic status, easy availability of anti-diphtheritic serum (ADS), early recognition and effective treatment-all may reduce the incidence and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, ID and BG Hospital, Kolkata-10, India. dralakeskole72@gmail.com
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kole
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kar
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chanda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000382:microbiology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult