Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Diphtheria Attending the Infectious Disease Hospital in Delhi

Diphtheria is a re-emerging disease with changing epidemiology. Recognising diphtheria's clinical profile, patterns of morbidity and mortality, and level of immunisation is very essential. This study was planned to study the clinic-epidemiological profile of patients with Diphtheria at Infectious disease Hospital, New Delhi. The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted at Infectious Disease Hospital, Delhi included 94 patients who were diagnosed with Diphtheria were included in the study. The study tool was a questionnaire that had questions eliciting details such as socio-demography, clinical history, examination findings, vaccination history and clinical history. The case fatality rate was calculated. Means and proportions were calculated. A p value of <0.05 was considered significant. The mean (SD) of the age of the participants was 9(4.4). Laryngeal involvement was found in 10(11%). Complete diphtheria vaccination doses were taken by 6(6.4%). The case fatality rate was 13%. Complications such as Neuropathy were found in 21(22%), cardiac problems in 12(13%) and respiratory problems in13(14%). Longer duration of illness, delayed presentation and complications were associated with poor clinical outcomes. (P-value <0.05).The majority of diphtheria cases belonged to the age group of 6-10 years and lower socio-economic group. Most of them had partial vaccination against diphtheria. Around one-third of patients had complications related to diphtheria and the case fatality rate was high. Poor clinical outcomes were linked to longer disease duration, delayed presentation, and complications. Key preventive measures for controlling the deadly diphtheria disease include specialised immunisation programmes for poor immunisation coverage areas and early detection and treatment of suspected cases.