Role of ciprofloxacin in typhoid fever

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of ciprofloxacin in typhoid fever and to compare its efficacy with chloramphenicol. Eighty patients between 20-45 years with positive blood culture were included in the study. Seventy five percent patients treated with ciprofloxacin became afebrile within 72 hours while with chloramphenicol it took upto 120-144 hours for the same percentage of patients to become afebrile. Four patients resistant to chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole and ampicillin/amoxycillin, also responded to ciprofloxacin. There were no significant adverse effects indicating that ciprofloxacin is safe and effective drug for resistant and nonresistant cases of typhoid fever

Juvenile hypothyroidism: a case report

Juvenile hypothyroidism is one of the commonest in-born error of endocrinology. Early diagnosis plays a key role in the management of such patients. The case of a girl of eight years of age is presented. Given the proper screening and health care, such patients can be diagnosed in the first few weeks of life

Liver in enteric fever

A prospective study of one hundred enteric fever cases were carried out at Combined Military and Military Hospitals, Rawalpindi with the idea of studying the incidence of hepatomegaly and liver functional disturbances in such cases. The liver was enlarged in 45 percent of the patients as compared with 65 percent palpability of spleen. This suggests that hepatomegaly is an important finding to be considered in the diagnosis of enteric fever. Serum transaminases were in the upper limit of normal or slightly raised above the normal upto 60 units ml in cases with hepatomegaly. Serum bilirubin and other liver function tests did not show any significant changes. Three cases of jaundice due entirely to different and unrelated causes were also documented

Treatment of gram-negative infections with aztreonam

Twenty-three patients with serious gram-negative infections were treated with aztreonam. Twenty-two of these were clinical and microbiological cures. No bacteria became resistant. The infections treated were of urinary tract, respiratory tract, skin/soft tissue, bones, joints intra-abdominal and septicaemia. The bacteria responsible for these infections included, E. coli, pseudomonas aeruginosa, scrratia marcescens, citrobacter, haemophilus, klebsella and enterobacter, Aztreonam was well tolerated and was found highly effective against gram-negative bacilli including P-aeuroginpsa. In view of the relative safety, unique properties and excellent clinical and bacteriologic efficacy of aztreonam this agent would appear to be an outstanding alternative to aminoglycoside therapy in serious, gram-negative infections. It is however, expensive

Norfloxacin in urinary tract infections [a clinical trial]

Twenty-two patients suffering from acute uncomplicated urinary tract infections were treated with tabs Norfloxacin 400 mg B.D [12 patients] and tabs Nitrofurantoin 100 mg T.O.S [10 patients] for a period of ten days. The patients were followed during therapy and for four weeks later to determine the efficacy and untoward clinical and biochemical effects of the drugs. All cultured specimens of organisms were sensitive to Norfloxacin while three cultured specimens of organisms were resistant to Nitrofurantoin. No side effects were noted in 70% of patients taking Norfloxacin while 70% of patients on Nitrofurantoin had side-effects. Adverse biochemical effects were not seen with either drug. It is concluded that Norfloxacin is an effective and better tolerated drug

Acute viral hepatitis, intravascular haemoloysis severe hyperbilirubinaemia in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient patients

One patient with acute viral hepatitis and severe intravascular haemolysis with unusually high levels of serum bilirubin is described, two other similar patients here seen. These patients had fever, marked anaemia, reticulocytosis and neutrophil leucocytosis. The deficiency of the enzyme G-6-PD was confirmed in these patients. Massive haemolysis in these cases was probably induced by the administration of drugs. The literature on the subject has been reviewed