Diphtheria - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

This article discuss about the causes, symptoms and the treatment procedure of the bacterial disease called diphtheria. This disease is a serious bacterial infection which can lead to death. The causes for this disease are bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheria. This can be identified by a gray covering which is thick on the back of your throat, which could make breathing difficult. This bacterium also infects your skin. Long back this disease turned out be very deadly among children, but due to the widespread vaccination the disease is now under control. The bacteria which causes Diphtheria is found in the droplets of moisture when you cough. These bacteria multiply in the mucus membrane of the mouth which leads to inflammation. Certain types of Corynebacterium diphtheria discharge a fatal toxin. This could damage the heart, nervous system, kidneys. The skin is affected only if it is the milder form of the bacteria which is normally found in the adults and is more common among the people who have poor hygiene.

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Diphtheria is also a bacterial infection which affects nose, skin and larynx. This bacterium covers the area of inflammation with a thick membrane. Below 5years and above 60years are the people who are more prone to this disease.

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Causes of Diphtheria:

This bacterium which causes Diphtheria is transmitted through intimate contact or by respiratory droplets which is airborne from convalescing patients. Contaminated objects such as contaminated milk can also transmit the disease. It is a rare situation that the food contaminated by the bacterium would infect others. The toxin produced by the bacterium causes serious complications which would lead to the failure of kidneys, nervous system, heart etc. Blood stream is also a path by which the bacterium can be spread and a significant damage can be caused. The disease first infects the nose and also the skin leading to skin lesions.

People below the age of 5 and above the age of 60, if they are not regularly immunized then the risk of getting affected by the disease are higher. Addictions to alcohol and drugs also could be responsible for getting affected by the disease. Homosexuality and poor hygiene can also lead to diphtheria.

Symptoms of Diphtheria:

Diphtheria either affects the nose and throat or the skin of a person. Sore throat, swollen lymph glands found in the neck and fever are the symptoms of the disease. Breathing would get hard as the throat is covered by a grey membrane Treatment of Diphtheria:

Penicillin and Erythromycin are the normal medicines prescribed by doctors for the treatment of the disease. Diphtheria antitoxin is used and is made to be in the Intensive care unit if the nervous system of kidneys is damaged. Complete vaccination is provided for those cured of the disease and other treatment would be provided according to the clinical status of the victim.

Diphtheria - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

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Erythema Multiforme - Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment

Erythema multiforme, also known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), is an acute, self-limiting condition with characteristic red skin lesions covering up to 10% of the surface area of the body. The lesions remain in a fixed location for at least 7 days and then begin to heal, but usually tend to recur. A more severe involvement of the body surface area (more than 30%) is termed as Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). Mortality increases as the percentage of involved body surface increases. A disturbed immunity is believed to be responsible for this condition. Most patients also have mucous membrane involvement along with the skin lesions.

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The Ayurvedic treatment of SJS is aimed at treating the skin and mucous membrane lesions, reducing the severity and intensity of generalized symptoms and preventing recurrence. Medicines useful in this condition are: Arogya-Vardhini, Gandhak-Rasayan, Maha-Manjishthadi-Qadha, Kamdudha-Ras, Sutshekar-Ras, Chandrakala-Ras, Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia), Usheer (Vetiveria zizanioidis), Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Haridra (Curcuma longa) and Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia). Medicines which act on the 'Ras' and 'Rakta' dhatus (tissues) of the body are useful in this condition. These medicines include Indrayav (Holharrhina antidysentrica), Patol (Tricosanthe dioica), Kutki (Picrorrhiza kurroa), Saariva (Hemidesmus indicus), Patha ( Cissampelos pareira) and Musta (Cyperus rotundus). If there is severe mucous membrane involvement, medicines which act on the 'Mansa' dhatu also need to be used in this condition. These medicines include, in addition to the above mentioned medicines, Triphala (Three fruits) and Nimba (Azadirachta indica).

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Medicines are also used to improve immune dysfunction, which is usually responsible for this condition. These medicines include Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Bhrungraj (Eclipta alba), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), Suvarna-Sutshekhar-Ras and Suvarna-Bhasma. Maha-Manjishthadi-Qadha and Saarivasav are given on a long term basis to prevent recurrence.

A large number of medicines can precipitate SJS. It is important to immediately discontinue the offending medication. An acute onset of SJS can cause rapid severe dehydration and circulatory collapse, which may even lead to death. Hospitalization in the acute stage is therefore, very important. Ayurvedic medicines may be added to the therapy once the acute phase has stabilized, in order to control generalized symptoms of the condition and to prevent recurrence.

Erythema Multiforme - Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment

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Membrane Diffuser Solutions For Wastewater Treatment Systems

In the aeration basin of a typical wastewater treatment plant there are both organic and inorganic matter that can impair the function of fine bubble diffusers. Eventually this requires either additional energy to overcome high membrane headloss, or reducing the oxygen mass transfer to the process.

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The rate and type of fouling depends on whether the plant is treating industrial or municipal wastewater, as well as on the process. Typically diffuser types foul more rapidly in low MCRT plants such as non nitrifying conventional processes than in high MCRT plants such as in nutrient removal processes like oxidation ditch, BNR and SBR.

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Diffuser media which have been readily available in the market include porous types such as aluminum oxide, porcelain, ABS and Polyethylene, and non-porous types EPDM, Silicone and Polyurethane.

Most diffuser manufacturers have taken a targeted rather than blanket approach to diffuser fouling problems. For example, in a dairy WWTP, it is expected that there will be significant calcium fouling, therefore it is common to use a flexible membrane diffuser rather than a hard porous type which may prove more difficult to keep clean.

In some cases manufacturers have recommended lower roughness coefficient materials such as PU rather than EPDM in such applications to reduce surface adhesion of calcium, gypsum, and silicas to the membrane. However, there have always been trade-offs in the selection of a diffuser media other than porous types or EPDM. For example PU and Silicone formulations that have been used often have a relatively high headloss and lower SOTE than EPDM. Silicone is also prone to tear propagation, add most PU is resistant to only 40 C. Only EPDM provides desirable physical properties and bubble sizes consistent with high SOTE. It should be noted that any result above 7% SOTE/m is considered high, and these tests were conducted at a diffuser submergence of 4.7m.

PTFE layered EPDM membranes were introduced in late 2004 and were installed throughout the course of 2005 in two dairies, one paper mill, one post aeration basin, a brewery, a landfill leachate treatment plant, and a number of municipal sewage treatment plants. In most of the cases, PTFE layered EPDM was selected due to the failure of previous technologies to avoid fouling to a sufficient degree that the plant could operate efficiently.

Rosso and Stenstrom (in their paper Economics of Fine Pore Diffuser Aging) have empirically studied the extent of fouling and cleaning intervals of various diffuser media in a wide array of municipal sewage treatment plants and have found that aF rates between cleanings of membranes even in municipal plants are much greater than common perception, dropping from an average alpha in a low MCRT plant of 0.50 to less than 0.40 after up to 2 years and stabilizing to less than 0.35 thereafter. At this time specifically in low MCRT plants they have found that the difference in aF between porous and non-porous fine bubble media do not vary significantly.

Stamford Scientific has recorded case studies where diffusers did not require cleaning, however, it was the operator's curiosity to look at the diffusers that drove them to drain the tanks and inspect them. In both cases, the surface bubble pattern was consistent with new and clean diffusers, the dissolved oxygen concentrations had not changed from new, and the diffuser headloss appeared not to have changed significantly.

There are tests and evidence that shows little to no change in a between a new PTFE and an aged PTFE membrane in a typical municipal plant setting. This also includes evidence that there is little to no change in DP, with the help of independent research and the addition of further empirical examples. If this can be proven, wastewater plants of all sorts that install PTFE layered membranes will be looking at energy savings over the operating life of the plant of 30 to 40% with the added benefit of reduced maintenance and perhaps less frequent replacement requirements.

Membrane Diffuser Solutions For Wastewater Treatment Systems

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