Typhoid fever in Malaysian children

A prospective study of 102 children with bacteriologically confirmed typhoid fever, admitted to Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia over 5 years was conducted. The average age at presentation was 91.3 (range 6 - 159) months. Fever (900%), abdominal pain (56%) and diarrhoea (44%) were common symptoms. Findings included: hepatomegaly (85.3%), splenomegaly (27.5%), anaemia (31%), leukopenia (15%). thrombocytopenia (26%), positive Widal (62.5%) and Typhidot test (96%). Patients were treated with ampicillin (n = 54) or chloramphenicol (n = 49) and 1/3 developed complications like hepatitis (n = 19), bone marrow suppression (n = 8) and paralytic ileus (n = 7). A patient with splenomegaly, thrombocytopenia or leukopenia was at higher risk of developing complications.