Condition

Diphtheria

Clinical trials and treatment information for Diphtheria

50K
People Affected
5
Active Trials
16K
New Cases/Year
3,825
Deaths/Year

Treatment Rankings

Ranked by evidence volume first. Medicine has spent centuries ranking things by vibes. This is an improvement.

1
Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT)
95% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 50% Safety• 1 trials• 7.5K participants
MODERATE EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 20,000-120,000 units IV/IM
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
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50
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate

Duration

Single administration (can be repeated)

Response Rate

85%

Remission Rate

70%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

3

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

20

Common Side Effects:

Serum sickness: 10%
Anaphylaxis: 5%
Local injection site reactions: 25%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$2,000

Monitoring

$30,000

Side Effects

$1,000

Total Annual

$33,000

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

15

Cost per Remission

$47,143

Cost per Responder

$38,823

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
All-cause Mortality15% (for moderate-to-severe diphtheria without Diphtheria Antitoxin)
-66.7% (-10 percentage points)
Incidence of Diphtheritic Myocarditis20% (for moderate-to-severe diphtheria without Diphtheria Antitoxin)
-50% (-10 percentage points)
Incidence of Severe Airway Obstruction Requiring Tracheostomy25% (for pharyngeal/laryngeal diphtheria without Diphtheria Antitoxin)
-76% (-19 percentage points)
Duration of Clinical Toxemia (fever, malaise, dysphagia)10 days (if patient survives without Diphtheria Antitoxin)
-50% (-5 days)
Secondary Benefits
Length of Hospital Stay21 days (for severe diphtheria cases without Diphtheria Antitoxin)
-33.3% (-7 days)
Time to Complete Pseudomembrane Disappearance14 days (if patient survives without Diphtheria Antitoxin)
-35.7% (-5 days)
Incidence of Diphtheritic Neuropathy (e.g., palatal/peripheral paralysis)15% (can appear weeks after infection, even in survivors without Diphtheria Antitoxin)
-40% (-6 percentage points)
Common Side Effects
Serum sickness
+10%
Anaphylaxis
+5%
Local injection site reactions
+25%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Clinical experienceHistorical data
2
Supportive Care
90% Effectiveness• 95% Confidence• 90% Safety00
HIGH EvidenceExcellent Value
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
90
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate

Duration

Days to weeks

Response Rate

95%

Remission Rate

%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

1

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

10

Common Side Effects:

Complications of intubation/ventilation: 10%
Complications of IV lines: 3%
Electrolyte imbalances: 3%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$500

Monitoring

$20,000

Side Effects

$2,000

Total Annual

$22,500

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

15

Cost per Responder

$23,684

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+90%
Response Rate
+95%
Common Side Effects
Complications of intubation/ventilation
+10%
Complications of IV lines
+3%
Electrolyte imbalances
+3%
3
Penicillin G (or Procaine Penicillin)
95% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 70% Safety• 50 trials• 15K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 300,000-600,000 units IM daily or 250 mg orally QID
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
70
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

24-48 hours

Duration

14 days

Response Rate

95%

Remission Rate

95%

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

10000

Common Side Effects:

Diarrhea: 8%
Nausea/Vomiting: 4%
Allergic reactions (rash): 2%
Anaphylaxis: 0.05%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$20

Monitoring

$100

Side Effects

$50

Total Annual

$170

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.3

Cost per Remission

$179

Cost per Responder

$179

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+95%
Response Rate
+95%
Remission Rate
+95%
Common Side Effects
Diarrhea
+8%
Nausea/Vomiting
+4%
Allergic reactions (rash)
+2%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
4
Erythromycin
95% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 70% Safety• 50 trials• 15K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 250-500 mg orally QID
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
70
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

24-48 hours

Duration

14 days

Response Rate

95%

Remission Rate

95%

Common Side Effects:

Gastrointestinal upset: 15%
QT prolongation: 1%
Allergic reactions (rash): 0.5%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$50

Monitoring

$100

Side Effects

$100

Total Annual

$250

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.3

Cost per Remission

$263

Cost per Responder

$263

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+95%
Response Rate
+95%
Remission Rate
+95%
Common Side Effects
Gastrointestinal upset
+15%
QT prolongation
+1%
Allergic reactions (rash)
+0.5%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
5
Clindamycin
90% Effectiveness• 80% Confidence• 70% Safety• 20 trials• 5K participants
MODERATE EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 300-450 mg orally TID/QID or IV
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
70
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

24-48 hours

Duration

14 days

Response Rate

90%

Remission Rate

90%

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

50

Common Side Effects:

Diarrhea: 15%
Clostridioides difficile infection: 5%
Nausea/Vomiting: 8%
Rash: 2%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$100

Monitoring

$100

Side Effects

$400

Total Annual

$600

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.2

Cost per Remission

$667

Cost per Responder

$667

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+90%
Response Rate
+90%
Remission Rate
+90%
Common Side Effects
Diarrhea
+15%
Clostridioides difficile infection
+5%
Nausea/Vomiting
+8%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4