incubation PRECAUTIONS Ф if your child's diphtheria immunization status is not up to date, be sure to inform the doctor treating your child. Diphtheria may be the furthest thought from your doctor's mind. • If a child is having any trouble breathing, do not attempt to look in the child's throat. • Do not give cough medicine to a child who is having any trouble breathing. • Remember that a child who has not been immunized can contract diphtheria from a well child or adult who is a carrier. • Never travel to an underdeveloped country where diphtheria is common without proper immunization or booster shots. MEDICAL TREATMENT If your doctor suspects diphtheria, the disease can be diagnosed and treated. Diphtheria antitoxin and large doses of penicillin or erythromycin are effective if started early enough. A tracheotomy (a surgical procedure in which an opening to the windpipe is made through the neck) may be necessary if the condition is severe. RELATED TOPICS: Coughs; Croup: Immunizations; Infectious mononucleosis; Pneumonia; Sore throat; Strep infections Quick Reference Dislocated elbow SYMPTOMS • Pain in the arm (anywhere from the elbow to the wrist), particularly if it is known that the arm was yanked or pulled • Holding the arm against the side with the palm facing back • Pain when trying to turn the palm forward • Swelling of wrist and hand HOME CARE • The first time you suspect a dislocated elbow, see your doctor for proper treatment • If the elbow becomes dislocated often, your doctor may teach you how to correct a dislocated elbow at home. PRECAUTIONS • Do not try to correct a dislocated elbow unless you have been taught the proper procedure by a doctor. • Do not use the procedure for correcting a dislocated elbow unless the symptoms exactly match the description and you are sure the arm has been yanked. A fracture of a forearm bone can cause similar symptoms. • A dislocated elbow should be treated as soon as possible (within a few hours). • Be especially careful for three to four weeks after dislocation. A dislocation can easily recur during the healing period. • Do not lift children by pulling on their hands, wrists, or arms. A luxation, or dislocation, of a joint occurs when the bones are out of their proper place in the joint. In a dislocated elbow the bones are not completely out of place; therefore, it is more properly called a subluxation, or partial dislocation. It is the only common dislocation in young children. It frequently occurs between the ages of one and three years it is rare beyond the age of four. The elbow contains two separate joints. The larger is a hinge joint that allows the forearm to bend and to straighten in relation to the upper arm. The smaller, less obvious joint of the elbow is between the upper ends of the radius and ulna (the two bones of the forearm) This smaller joint allows the forearm to rotate, to turn the palm up and down. infectiosum