Editing Diphtheria (section)

==Signs and symptoms==
[[File:Diphtheria bull neck.5325 lores.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|Diphtheria can cause a swollen neck, sometimes referred to as a ''bull neck''.<ref name=CDC2012Pink/>]]
[[File:A diphtheria skin lesion on the leg. PHIL 1941 lores.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|A diphtheria skin lesion on the leg]]

The symptoms of diphtheria usually begin two to seven days after infection. They include fever of 38&nbsp;°C (100.4&nbsp;°F) or above; chills; [[Fatigue (medical)|fatigue]]; bluish skin coloration ([[cyanosis]]); sore throat; [[Dysphonia|hoarseness]]; [[cough]]; headache; difficulty swallowing; painful swallowing; [[Shortness of breath|difficulty breathing]]; rapid breathing; foul-smelling and bloodstained nasal discharge; and [[lymphadenopathy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diphtheria/Pages/Symptoms.aspx|title=Diphtheria—Symptoms—NHS Choices|access-date=28 June 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150628170154/http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diphtheria/Pages/Symptoms.aspx|archive-date=28 June 2015}}</ref><ref name="MedlinePlusEncyclopedia Diphtheria">{{MedlinePlusEncyclopedia|001608|Diphtheria}}</ref> Within two to three days, diphtheria may destroy healthy tissues in the respiratory system. The dead tissue forms a thick, gray coating that can build up in the throat or nose. This thick gray coating is called a "pseudomembrane." It can cover tissues in the nose, tonsils, voice box, and throat, making it very hard to breathe and swallow.<ref>{{cite web|title=Diphtheria Symptoms|url=https://www.cdc.gov/diphtheria/symptoms/|website=www.cdc.gov|access-date=11 January 2025|language=en-us|date=12 February 2024}}</ref> Symptoms can also include [[cardiac arrhythmia]]s, [[myocarditis]], and [[cranial nerve palsy|cranial]] and [[peripheral nerve palsy|peripheral nerve palsies]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lecturio.com/concepts/diphtheria/| title=Diphtheria|website=The Lecturio Medical Concept Library | date=4 August 2020|access-date= 12 July 2021}}</ref>

=== {{anchor|diphtheritic croup|Diphtheritic croup|Croup|croup|Diphthery croup|diphthery croup}} Diphtheritic croup ===
Laryngeal diphtheria can lead to a characteristic swollen neck and throat, or "bull neck." The swollen throat is often accompanied by a serious respiratory condition, characterized by a brassy or "barking" cough, [[stridor]], hoarseness, and difficulty breathing; and historically referred to variously as "diphtheritic croup,"<ref name=loving>{{cite journal|last=Loving|first=Starling|title=Something concerning the diagnosis and treatment of false croup|journal=[[JAMA (journal)|JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association]]|date=5 October 1895|volume=XXV|issue=14|pages=567–573|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-FQcAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA567|access-date=16 April 2014|doi=10.1001/jama.1895.02430400011001d|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704192208/http://books.google.com/books?id=-FQcAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA567|archive-date=4 July 2014}}</ref> "true croup,"<ref name=cormack>{{cite journal|last=Cormack|first=John Rose|title=Meaning of the Terms Diphtheria, Croup, and Faux Croup|journal=[[British Medical Journal]]|date=8 May 1875|volume=1|issue=749|page=606|doi=10.1136/bmj.1.749.606|pmc=2297755|pmid=20747853 }}</ref><ref name=bennett>{{cite journal|last=Bennett|first=James Risdon|title=True and False Croup|journal=[[British Medical Journal]]|date=8 May 1875 |volume=1 |issue=749 |pages=606–607 |doi=10.1136/bmj.1.749.606-a|pmc=2297754|pmid=20747854 }}</ref> or sometimes simply as "croup."<ref name=beard>{{cite book|last=Beard|first=George Miller|title=Our Home Physician: A New and Popular Guide to the Art of Preserving Health and Treating Disease|year=1875|publisher=E. B. Treat|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/ourhomephysicia00beargoog/page/n567 560]–564|url=https://archive.org/details/ourhomephysicia00beargoog|access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> Diphtheritic croup is extremely rare in countries where [[diphtheria vaccination]] is customary. As a result, the term "[[croup]]" nowadays most often refers to an unrelated viral illness that produces similar but milder respiratory symptoms.<ref name=vanderpool>{{cite journal|last=Vanderpool |first=Patricia |title=Recognizing croup and stridor in children |journal=American Nurse Today |date=December 2012 |volume=7 |number=12 |url=http://www.americannursetoday.com/article.aspx?id=9752&fid=9722 |access-date=15 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416174601/http://www.americannursetoday.com/article.aspx?id=9752&fid=9722 |archive-date=16 April 2014  }}</ref>