⏰ when
When was the first diphtheria antitoxin used in a patient?
MedicineDiseases
Quick Answer
In 1891, the first diphtheria antitoxin was successfully used in a child in Berlin. It was one of the first major serum therapies in medicine.
The Full Story
The diphtheria antitoxin was first used successfully in 1891, after Emil von Behring and Shibasaburo Kitasato developed the treatment. It worked by neutralizing the toxin produced by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, rather than attacking the bacteria directly. The treatment dramatically reduced deaths from diphtheria, especially in children. von Behring later received the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901 for this work.
Key Facts
1.1891: first successful human use
2.Emil von Behring and Shibasaburo Kitasato developed it
3.1901: von Behring won the first Nobel Prize in medicine
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"The toxin-fighting treatment that changed child survival"