Clinical presentation of enteric fever: its changing pattern in Kuwait.
The clinical experience with enteric fever (1985-89) at a general hospital in Kuwait is presented. There were 90 cases of typhoid and 10 cases of paratyphoid fever, with a mortality rate of 2%. Typhoid complications of bowel perforation, haemorrhage or septic shock were present in 5% and abortion in 2%. Neurological or psychiatric manifestations were a feature in 15%. Most infections were imported (78%). Despite rapid economic development, enteric fever may still be acquired locally but less frequently with time. This contributed to initial diagnostic uncertainty in 18% of cases, and especially in children. Another changing pattern emerged with the recent finding of five drug-resistant Salmonella typhi isolates, two in 1988 and three in 1989. Efforts are clearly needed to diagnose enteric fever more rapidly and to utilize new antibiotics for drug-resistant cases.
Farwaniya Hospital, Kuwait.
A S
AS
Daoud
M
M
Zaki
R N
RN
Pugh
G
G
al-Mutairi
R
R
Beseiso
A Y
AY
Nasrallah
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010284:Paratyphoid Fever / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014195:Travel; D014435:Typhoid Fever / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*