Medknow Publications on behalf of Indian Association of Medical Microbiology
Abstract
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