TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Diphtheria outbreak (KLB) has spread in various regions in Indonesia. What to do if already exposed? The Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI) in its written statement mentions five things you have to do if Diphtheria symptoms appear.
1. Immediately go to the nearest clinic or health facility if your child complains of having a sore throat with a sound like snoring (stridor) or swollen lymph nodes, especially for the child under 15.
2. The child should be hospitalized immediately if suspected of suffering from diphtheria. So the child will get immediate treatment and laboratory tests to determine whether the child is suffering from diphtheria
3. If the child is diagnosed with diphtheria, the patient will be given appropriate treatment including isolation care.
4. To break the chain of transmission, all of the home members must be examined by a doctor and Health Department officials. They will also take medication to prevent illness and in order to find out if they also suffer from the disease or the carrier of diphtheria bacterium.
Read: Tempo News: Regions to Conduct Diphtheria Immunization Program
5. The family members who are not suffering from diphtheria must soon receive the DPT/DT/Td vaccinations based on their ages.
The IDAI press release also mentions that it is normal to have reactions such as fever, swollen and sore at the shot location after the immunization, which will disappear in 1 to 2 days.
If such reactions appear, a child may consume paracetamol, juice or milk, and wear a thin cloth or go the nearest health clinic.
According to IDAI, a child with mild cold and cough and no fever can still receive the DPT/DT/Td vaccination based on his/her age. Get the immunization done soon if it is not yet completed or delayed.
As previously mentioned, the symptoms of diphtheria include: the fever is not too high, appetite to eat is decreased, difficulty of swallowing and sore throat, there is greenish yellow nasal secretions and can be accompanied by blood, as well as a distinctive sign of a grayish white membrane in the throat or nose which is followed by a neck swelling or bull neck.
Susandijani
