EMplify by EB Medicine

EMplify by EB Medicine


Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus with Dr Lara Zibners

November 07, 2025

In this episode, Sam Ashoo, MD and Lara Zibners, MD discuss the August 2025 Pediatric Emergency Medicine Practice article, Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus: An Update of Evidence-Based Management of Pediatric Patients in the Emergency Department


  • Introduction and guest background
  • Host welcome, show context
  • Dr. Lara Zibners’ credentials
  • EB Medicine involvement
  • Personal stories and clinical experience
  • Memorable tetanus and pertussis cases
  • Vaccine advocacy
  • Rare disease encounters
  • Diphtheria: overview, presentation, treatment
  • Toxigenic vs. non-toxigenic, “bull neck”
  • Cardiac, neurologic complications
  • Antitoxin, antibiotics, public health
  • Pertussis: symptoms, vaccine, treatment
  • “100-day cough,” apnea in infants
  • Waning immunity, boosters
  • Azithromycin, treat contacts
  • Tetanus: risk, presentation, management
  • Clostridium ubiquity, no outbreaks
  • Muscle spasms, autonomic instability
  • Airway, sedation, antibiotics
  • Key ED takeaways and pearls
  • Early suspicion, isolation
  • ICU admission for severe cases
  • Vaccination, reporting
  • Resources and article summary
  • Appendix, clinical pathway
  • ebmedicine.net reference
  • CME, further reading
  • Guest’s podcast plug and closing remarks
  • “Unstable Vitals” podcast
  • Where to listen
  • Thank you, sign-off


Check out Dr Zibner's podcast Unstable Vitals


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