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Typhoid fever in a 7 month old infant
S C Karande1, M S Desai, M K Jain
1Department of Pediatrics, Seth GS Medical College, Parel, Bombay.
Insights
Diagnosing typhoid fever in infants is challenging due to non-specific symptoms. This case highlights the difficulty, with diagnosis only confirmed post-mortem after severe dehydration and acute tubular necrosis led to death.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Case Reports
Background:
- Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella Typhi, presents variably in infants.
- Early diagnosis in infants is critical but often hindered by non-specific clinical signs.
Observation:
- A 7-month-old infant presented with a single day of fever and loose stools.
- The infant rapidly developed severe dehydration, acute tubular necrosis, and succumbed.
Findings:
- Typhoid fever was diagnosed solely through post-mortem examination.
- The infant's presentation lacked the typical signs often associated with typhoid fever in older children.
Implications:
- This case underscores the diagnostic challenges of infant typhoid.
- Highlights the need for increased clinical suspicion and potentially earlier diagnostic consideration in febrile infants with gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Emphasizes the critical importance of prompt management of dehydration in infants presenting with non-specific febrile illnesses.
Abstract:
The clinical profile of typhoid fever in an infant is variable and non-specific. A rare case of typhoid fever in a 7 month old infant is reported. The child presented with only a day's history of fever and loose motions which resulted in severe dehydration, acute tubular necrosis and death. The diagnosis of typhoid fever was made only on post-mortem study. The problem in diagnosing typhoid fever in a young infant is highlighted with a brief literature review on the subject.