title: Diphtheria in a 7-year-old child in north-eastern Nigeria - management in a resource-poor setting.
abstract: We report a case of a 7-year-old unimmunized child who presented with a 2 week history of nasal quality speech, hoarseness of the voice, regurgitation of feeds, and unstable gait. He had a previous history of fever, severe sore throat and bloody nasal discharge. A throat swab was negative for Corynebacterium diphtheria; however, he had received antibiotics at a primary care clinic prior to presentation. A clinical diagnosis of diphtheria with neurologic complication was made and the child was started on oral erythromycin, nasogastric tube feeding and daily physiotherapy, following which he improved. We did not prescribe diphtheria anti-toxin because of its unavailability.
authors.affiliation: Consultant Physician/Lecturer, University of Maiduguri, Department of Medicine, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Baba Waru
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Goni
authors.forename: Mustapha M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gofama
authors.forename: Gana M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lawan
authors.forename: Yusuph
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Haruna
authors.forename: Bakki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bukar
authors.forename: Kida I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Musa
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003353:Corynebacterium diphtheriae; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004917:Erythromycin
keywords: Diphtheria; immunization; neurologic complication