Serious Acute Cases of Diphtheria are Treated with Antibiotics And

Question

Serious acute cases of diphtheria are treated with antibiotics and
A) diphtheria antitoxin.
B) diphtheria toxin.
C) diphtheria toxoid.
D) diphtheria antitoxin, diphtheria toxin, and diphtheria toxoid.

Accepted Answer

Serious acute cases of diphtheria require immediate treatment with antibiotics to kill the bacteria producing the diphtheria toxin. In addition, diphtheria antitoxin is administered to neutralize the toxin that has already been produced and prevent further damage to the body. Diphtheria toxoid, on the other hand, is a vaccine used to prevent infection with the diphtheria bacteria in the first place. It is not used to treat acute cases of the disease. Therefore, the best choice is A, diphtheria antitoxin, as it is the only treatment option that directly counteracts the damaging toxin.