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Membrane Score of Kneen et al in a Patient with Diphtheria

Description

Kneen et al developed a score for describing the extent of the pharyngeal membrane (psuedomembrane) in patients with diphtheria. The authors are from the Centre for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, England.


Pseudomembrane Extent

Grade

none

0

cleared before presentation

0

nose (nasopharynx) only

1

incomplete (partial) coverage of tonsils

1

confluent coverage of tonsils

2

Grade 2 plus palate and/or pharyngeal wall

3

Grade 3 plus nose and/or larynx

4

 

The presence of a Grade 3 or 4 membrane on admission is a risk factor for diphtheric cardiomyopathy (see below).

 


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