We are the combination of four hospitals: the General Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, the Women’s Hospital and the Traumatology, Rehabilitation and Burns Hospital. We are part of the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus: a world-leading health park where healthcare plays a crucial role.
Below we will list the departments and units that form part of Vall d’Hebron Hospital and the main diseases that we treat. We will also make recommendations based on advice backed up by scientific evidence that has been shown to be effective in guaranteeing well-being and quality of life.
Would you like to know what your stay at Vall d'Hebron will be like? Here you will find all the information.
The commitment of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital to innovation allows us to be at the forefront of medicine, providing first class care adapted to the changing needs of each patient.
Diphtheria is an acute infectious disease caused by the Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria and which only affects humans. It may show up as a condition of the upper respiratory tract (tonsils, pharynx and nasal mucosa). The bacteria produces an exotoxin that is responsible for the clinical symptoms of the disease. In adults, it can be fatal in 5-10% of cases, and in children this rises to 20%.
The characteristic symptom of respiratory diphtheria is a greyish white membrane (pseudomembrane) covering the tonsils and pharynx. The membrane tends to be difficult to remove and in doing so the area bleeds easily.
The most common symptoms are:
Thanks to vaccination, there have been no cases diagnosed in Spain for over thirty years. In 2015, however, there was one case in a child who had not been vaccinated.
Diphtheria is transmitted through respiration or close physical contact with an infected person or a healthy person carrying the bacteria but who has never shown symptoms.
The incubation period is two to seven days and it can be spread from seven days before symptoms appear up to two or three weeks afterwards.
Diagnosis is confirmed via microbial culture of clinical samples (swabs from the nasal mucosa, pharynx or pseudomembranes).
Diphtheria antitoxin medication and an antibiotic such as penicillin G procaine must be given as soon as possible (in the first 48 hours after showing symptoms, without waiting for the laboratory diagnosis).
Vaccination is the main measure to prevent diphtheria and is effective in 95% of cases. It must be periodically boosted as the effects of the vaccination do not last for ever.
Epidemiological monitoring and prophylaxis are essential to control the bacteria and to avoid secondary cases.
Health tips to prevent diphtheria
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