Study of clinical profile and antibiotic response in typhoid fever

The objective of the present study is to evaluate the clinical profile and pattern of various drugs used in the treatment of typhoid fever. A retrospective analysis of adult patients suffering from typhoid fever was done at Kasturba Medical College hospital, Attavar during the year 1999-2001. Diagnosis of patients was based on clinical features, widal test and blood culture. The sensitivity pattern of isolates from blood culture was recorded. The mode of presentation, clinical course, treatment history, laboratory investigations reports, antibiotic administered, response to therapy and the complications were recorded. Total number of 44 cases of typhoid fever were studied. Out of these 21(47.7%) were males and 23(52.3%) were females. Average age of presentation was 23.9 years. Average duration of hospital stay was 10.8 days. Fever was present in all patients. Resistance of S. typhi to amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, ampicillin and co-trimoxazole were significantly high. Ciprofloxacin also showed resistance in 18.1% of cases. Sensitivity to cephalosporin was 100% in our study. Ciprofloxacin was the most commonly used antibiotic in our study (23 patients). Chloramphenicol alone was used in 2 patients and in 3 patients it was given after 6 days of ciprofloxacin treatment. Third generation cephalosporins (ceftriaxone) alone were used in 16 patients. Indiscriminate use of drugs in typhoid fever should be discouraged. Appropriate antibiotic as indicated by sensitivity tests should be employed to prevent the development of resistant strains of S. typhi.