Leptospirosis: an institutional experience

Leptospirosis, a common zoonotic disease, may present with variable clinical manifestations in between two extremes. Possibility must be excluded in any febrile patient with hepatorenal derangement. There are different reports regarding prevalence pattern, presentations and case fatality rate from different parts of the country. The purpose of this study was to find out the mode of presentation, biochemical profile and complications of leptospirosis cases in an apical level and make a comparison of same with other parts of India. Fifty-one consecutive cases of leptospirosis were selected for this study. Thorough clinical examination was done. ELISA test was done in the second week of illness. Haemogram, liver and renal function tests, coagulation profile, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), chest xray, ECG were done in all patients. Presenting features were fever (100%), myalgia (78.4%), headache (41.2%), jaundice (17.6%), oliguria (29.4%), respiratory distress (25.5%), bleeding manifestations (9.8%), altered sensorium (21.6%). Icterus was found in 74.5% of patients, hepatosplenomegaly in 72.5%, tachypnoea in 52.9%, bleeding manifestations in 35.3%, encephalopathy in 21.6%, hypotension in 15.7% and meningeal signs in 5.9% cases. Case fatality rate was 7.8%. From the study, it becomes evident that though severe leptospirosis has declined, mild leptospirosis has Increased. The reasons for decline of severe leptospirosis may be greater awareness, availability of better diagnostic tool along with widespread use of antibiotics. So, high index of suspicion may eventually reduce complications. It would be wise to start appropriate antibiotics empirically in suspected cases of leptospirosis.