Enteric fever: a changing perspective

All the cases of enteric fever admitted between 1988-1992 were studied. There was a gradual rise in the number of admitted cases. Central nervous system (CNS) complications like encephalopathy (14.9%), meningitis (8.8%), seizures (8.5%) and cerebellitis (3.4%) were noted more during 1991 and 1992. Other complications like myocarditis (4.6%), hepatitis (9.5%) and gastrointestinal bleeding were noted in increasing numbers during 1991-1992. Multidrug resistant (MDRT) cases were 46.3% in 1991 and 33.5% in 1992. There was a significant difference in the time taken for defervescence (a gradual rise) between the years but between the individual drugs there was no such significant difference. Deaths were noted only in 1991 and 1992 in cases of MDRT with complications. There has been an increase in resistance of S. typhi to commonly used drugs like ampicillin, chloramphenicol and cotrimoxazole. S. typhi resistant to ciprofloxacin was cultured in 2 cases each from 1990-1992. Further, the time taken for defervescence with ciprofloxacin also showed a gradual rise from 3.5 days in 1990 to 6.2 days in 1992. Nevertheless, ciprofloxacin is still the drug of choice for treatment of complicated cases of MDRT.