Navigated to Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus with Dr Lara Zibners

Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus with Dr Lara Zibners

Nov 7, 2025
20 mins

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Episode Description

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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