Changing Patterns and Outcomes of Typhoid Fever in Egypt

Abstract

Introduction: Typhoid fever is an endemic disease in our country; however, the changing presentation may alter our diagnosis and management. The Aim of the Work: To improve the management of typhoid fever in Egypt through studying the changes in the clinical picture, laboratory findings, response to antimicrobial treatment & outcomes. Subjects and Methods: 590 patients were involved in the study, presenting symptoms, laboratory results, responses to medications and the outcomes were registered. Results: fever was the most prevalent symptom (98.6%) followed by a headache (82.9%) and abdominal pain (71.5%); eating outdoor is the most prevalent risk factor (80.8%); Thirty patients who used quinolone were relapsed (14.4% of cases who used quinolone), while fifty-five patients who used 3rd generation cephalosporin were relapsed (21.1% of cases who used cephalosporins). Conclusion: Food handlers constitute the major risk factors, while the classical form of the disease is not the common presentation, with a low yield of blood culture and increasingly resistant to fluroquinolone and ceftriaxone.