Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids vaccine and Palladone

• Generic Name: diphtheria toxoid / tetanus toxoid
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names:

  Diphtheria-Tetanus Toxoids, Pediatric, Decavac, Tenivac

Diphtheria and tetanus are serious diseases caused by bacteria.

Diphtheria causes a thick coating in the nose, throat, and airways. It can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, or death.

Tetanus (lockjaw) causes painful tightening of the muscles, usually all over the body. It can lead to "locking" of the jaw so the victim cannot open the mouth or swallow. Tetanus leads to death in about 1 out of 10 cases.

Diphtheria is spread from person to person. Tetanus enters the body through a cut or wound.

The diphtheria and tetanus toxoids vaccine (also called DT) is used to help prevent these diseases in children who are ages 6 weeks to 6 years old, before the child has reached his or her 7th birthday.

This vaccine works by exposing your child to a small dose of the bacteria or a protein from the bacteria, which causes the body to develop immunity to the disease. This vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.

Like any vaccine, the diphtheria and tetanus toxoids vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person.

• Generic Name: hydromorphone
• Dosage Forms: capsule, extended release
• Other Brand Names: Dilaudid, Exalgo, Hydrostat IR, Dilaudid-HP

Hydromorphone oral liquid and tablets are used to relieve pain. The hydromorphone extended-release capsules and extended-release tablets are used to relieve pain in opioid-tolerant patients severe enough to require around-the-clock pain relief for a long period of time.

Hydromorphone extended-release capsules and extended-release tablets should not be used if you need pain medicine for just a short time, such as when recovering from surgery. Do not use this medicine to relieve mild pain. This medicine should not be used to treat pain that you only have once in a while or "as needed".

Hydromorphone belongs to the group of medicines called narcotic analgesics (pain medicines). It acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to relieve pain.

When a narcotic medicine is used for a long time, it may become habit-forming, causing mental or physical dependence. However, people who have continuing pain should not let the fear of dependence keep them from using narcotics to relieve their pain. Mental dependence (addiction) is not likely to occur when narcotics are used for this purpose. Physical dependence may lead to withdrawal side effects if treatment is stopped suddenly. However, severe withdrawal side effects can usually be prevented by gradually reducing the dose over a period of time before treatment is stopped completely.

This medicine is available only under a restricted distribution program called the Opioid Analgesic REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) program.