Pediatric Typhoid Fever: Evaluation of 30 Cases

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate pediatric patients with typhoid fever with respect to their epidemiological, clinical and laboratory findings and response to treatment in our region, where typhoid fever is endemic. Methods: A retrospective evaluation was performed in 30 pediatric patients diagnosed as typhoid fever between January 2011 and December 2011 in terms of age, gender, complaints on presentation, physical examination and laboratory findings, and the therapeutics selected. Diagnosis was confirmed by Gruber-Widal agglutination test and/or growth of the causative agent in culture. Results: The patients comprised of 15 males and 15 females with a mean age of 10.03 +/- 5.08 years. The most common presenting symptoms were fever (n=28), fatigue (n=22), headache (n=19), sweating (n=17), abdominal pain (n=16), diarrhea (n=15), vomiting (n=11) and arthralgia (n=8). Physical examination revealed fever (n=27), hepatomegaly (n=12), splenomegaly (n=10), and rose spots (n=1). Titers of Salmonella typhi O agglutinins were >= 1/160 in all patients. Blood cultures were positive for S. typhi in three patients. Conclusions: There may be many different clinical signs of typhoid fever. In areas where the disease is endemic, it should be considered primarily, especially in patients presenting with fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.