Comparison of the sensitivity of typhi dot test with blood culture in typhoid fever

To evaluate the sensitivity of Typhi Dot test in comparison to Blood culture for the diagnosis of Typhoid Fever in our setup. Prospective comparative study from February 2004 to February 2005. S. S. Hospital, Karachi. Fifty patients who fulfilled the clinical criteria of having Typhoid Fever. The data of all the patients was documented, and they were submitted to the Typhi Dot and Blood Culture tests, apart from other routine investigations. Out of the total 50 patients, 47[94%] had their Blood culture positive for Typhoid bacillus, while in 49[98%] the Typhi Dot test was positive. Two patients which were found positive on Typhi Dot test, gave negative results on Blood Culture. One patient with the signs and symptoms of Typhoid Fever was found neither positive on Typhi Dot test nor upon Blood Culture. There was no significant difference between the results of Blood culture and Typhi Dot test in the diagnosis of Typhoid Fever. However, Typhi Dot has the advantages of being less expensive and quicker in giving results with excellent sensitivity

Effectiveness of anti-typhoid drugs currently used in Pakistan

To study the effectiveness of A nil-Typhoid drugs in the Pakistani population. Prospective comparative study conducted from Jan. 2003 to Jan. 2004. Department of Surgery, S. S Hospital, Karachi. Diagnosed cases of Typhoidfever on Blood or Faeces Culture, Widal test and/or Dot Enzyme Immunosorbant Assay [Dot EJA or Typhi Dot], above 12 years of age. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the five treatment groups named after the antibiotic used i.e. CzroJloxacin [48], Ofloxacin [45], Cefixime [46], Chloramphenicol [44] and Co-trimoxazole [44]. Treatment was administered for 7 or 14 days, and the results of the clinical and investigational assessment of patients, before and after the treatment, were compiled and tabulated. Out qf the total 227 patients included in the study, there were 112 males and 115 females, with a mean age of 31.7 +/- 8.2 years. There was no sign jfIcant difference between the treatment groups with respect to demography. A part from fever abdominal pain [79%], splenomegaly [34%], hepatomegaly [21%], diarrhoea [51%], vomiting [12%], dehydration [15%] and rose spots on the skin [18%] were the main clinical features. Salmonella typhi was isolated from the blood of 184 and stool of 24 patients, while S. paratyphi was isolated from the blood of 15 and stool of three patients. In 159 patients the Typhi -dot and in 87 the Widal test was +ve. The mean duration of fever or fever clearance time was 3 +/- 1 days with ciprofioxacin, 2.5 +/- 1 days with ofioxacin, 3.5 +/- 1.5 with cefixime, 6 +/- 2 days with chloramphenicol and 6.5 +/- 2 days with co-trimaxazole. There were no serious side effects or mortality in this series. Oprofloxacin, Ofioxacin and C_efixime has an excellent 000%] cure rate and efficacy whereas C_hloramphenicol has an 80% and Co-trimoxazole a 70% cure rate only