Various presentations of typhoid fever in children

ABSTRACT

To study various presentations of typhoid fever in children. As certain laboratory investigations are required to make the definite diagnosis of typhoid fever, it is very important to see the clinical spectrum of the disease, so to start appropriate treatment while waiting for laboratory investigations. Descriptive study of inpatients involving 60 subjects suffering from typhoid fever. The study was conducted over 18 month's period [September 2002 to February 2004] at Children's Hospital Complex Multan. A total of 60 admitted patients [Age group 6 months-14 years] with biologically and/or serologically diagnosed typhoid fever cases were included in the study. There were 42 [70%] male and 18 [30%] female patients. Out of 60 patients 4 [6.7%] were below 2 years of age and 5 [8.3%] above 10 years. In addition to the typical manifestations like fever [100%], headache [55%], anorexia [70%], diarrhea [30%], constipation [5%], vomiting [35%], abdominal pain [15%], abdominal distension [10%], bleeding per rectum [5%], bronchitis [10%], lobar pneumonia [3.3%], jaundice [5%], epistaxis [5%], meningeal irritation [15%], fits [5%], encephalopathy [6.7%], cerebellar ataxia [1.7%] and choriform symptomatology, so a presumptive clinical diagnosis may be made to start early treatment