How Is Diphtheria Diagnosed and Treated?
Diphtheria is diagnosed when the membrane that signals the disease is seen in the nose or throat during an examination of someone with symptoms of the disease. The diagnosis is confirmed by taking a swab of the coating from underneath the membrane and performing a laboratory test that identifies diphtheria bacteria. Hospitalized people who are known to have diphtheria are kept isolated to prevent the disease from spreading to others. Patients are treated in the hospital with antibiotics and diphtheria antitoxin*. The antitoxin, which is produced in horses, is given intravenously (directly into a vein).
