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Published on: August 11, 2014
Sensitivity pattern of salmonella typhi and paratyphi in paediatric patients
Sohail Ahmad1, Muhammad Farhan Rasool1, 1
1Gajju Khan Medical College, Swabi, Pakistan.
Insights
Pediatric Salmonella typhi shows high resistance to common antibiotics like ampicillin and ciprofloxacin. Meropenem and imipenem remain highly effective, indicating a need for antibiotic stewardship to combat rising resistance trends.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Salmonella typhi and paratyphi are significant causes of febrile illness, particularly in children.
- Antibiotic resistance in these pathogens poses a growing global health challenge.
- Understanding local sensitivity patterns is crucial for effective treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the antibiotic sensitivity patterns of Salmonella typhi and paratyphi in pediatric patients.
- To assess the prevalence of resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics in a tertiary-care setting.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study conducted in Swabi, Pakistan (January-March 2024).
- Analysis of samples from pediatric patients (1-14 years) diagnosed with Salmonella typhi (January-December 2023).
- Antibiotic susceptibility testing performed using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method.
Main Results:
- High resistance rates observed for ampicillin (100%), ciprofloxacin (89.4%), and ceftriaxone (98.5%).
- Azithromycin demonstrated significant sensitivity (95.2%).
- Meropenem and imipenem showed 100% sensitivity, indicating retained efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Alarming levels of resistance to first-line antibiotics in pediatric Salmonella typhi infections.
- Urgent need for antibiotic stewardship programs to curb misuse and overuse.
- Meropenem and imipenem represent viable treatment options for multidrug-resistant cases.
Objective:
To determine the sensitivity patterns of Salmonella typhi and paratyphi in paediatric patients in a public-sector tertiary-care setting.
Methods:
The retrospective, observational study was conducted at Gajju Khan Medical College, Swabi, Pakistan, from January 11 to March 3, 2024, and comprised samples from patients aged 1-14 years who had been confirmed as cases of Salmonella typhi during testing at the Medical Teaching Institution Bacha Khan Medical Complex, Swabi, between January 5 and December 24, 2023. Cultures had been performed manually, while antibiotic susceptibility had been tested using Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. Data was analysed using SPSS 25.
Results:
Of the 63 patients, 40(63.4%) were boys and 23(36.5%) were girls. The overall mean age was 7.8±4.16 years. Among the samples, 6(10.5%) showed sensitivity to ciprofloxacin, while 57(89.4%) exhibited resistance. None of the samples showed sensitivity to ampicillin, and 1(1.5%) was sensitive to ceftriaxone. Azithromycin showed a high sensitivity rate of 60(95.2%). Meropenem and imipenem demonstrated 63(100%) sensitivity.
Conclusions:
The development of extremely high resistance of salmonella typhi to commonly used antibiotics, such as ampici lin, ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone show a concerning trend in pediatric patients. Measures need to be taken to prevent the misuse and overuse of antibiotics.
