Clinical & laboratory profile of typhoid fever in children in North Bihar

Abstract

Background: Typhoid fever is a major health problem in developing countries. In India annual incidence is nearly 1%. Blood culture for Salmonella is the gold standard to diagnose typhoid fever. The Clinical & Laboratory profile of these patients is affected by this infection. Aims: This study was conducted to evaluation of Clinical & Laboratory Profile of Typhoid Fever in Children in Bihar Region. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital, Darbhanga Bihar, India . Total 200 Children aged below 18 years with history of fever of more than 7-10 days duration were included in this study. In each case, age, sex, presenting complaint, laboratory investigations and antibiotic sensitivity pattern are collected and analysed. Results: Out of 200 cases, 140 cases (70%) were males and 60 cases (30%) were females.  Most of the cases were aged between 6 and 12 years. Most of the cases (70%) stayed in hospital up to two Weeks after admission. The most common symptom was fever (100%), followed by anorexia (65.5%), vomiting (45.5%), pain abdomen (20.5%), diarrhea (12.5%), headache (9%), and cough (7.5%). The most common sign of physical findings was toxic look in 69.5% of the cases followed by coated tongue in 49.5%, hepatomegaly 43.5%, splenomegaly 19.5%, hepatosplenomegaly in 14% of cases and pallor in 6.5% of cases. Conclusion: Public health interventions like supply of safe drinking water, appropriate sanitation, awareness of the disease and its transmission, and good personal hygiene practices may be employed.

Keywords: Children, Clinical profile, Coated tongue, Typhoid fever.