Effects of pefloxacin in multi drug resistant typhoid Fever.

In 28 children, with bacteriologically and/or serologically diagnosed typhoid fever treated at CMH, Rawalpindi in 2003, first one of the three recommended drugs (viz. chloramphenicol, amoxycillin or co-trimoxazole) was given for 7 days for defervescence to occur. In those who failed to respond a second trial of therapy with one of the other two drugs was initiated, after excluding the first drug. A second failure of therapy was taken as an indication to use pefloxacin singly. Finally, 18 (64.3%) cases responded to chloramphenicol or amoxycillin or co-trimoxazole. Pefloxacin was used in 10 (35.7%) cases. The failure rate of treatment with chloramphenicol was 50%, with amoxycillin 71.4% with co-trimoxazole 75% and 0% with pefloxacin. An analysis of the 28 cases revealed that apart from fever (in 100%), splenomegaly (in 82.1%) was the most important clinical indicator to diagnosis. along with absolute eosinopenia (in 71.4%). There were no major complications, except 2 cases with typhoid hepatitis that responded to choramphenicol and co-trimoxazole, respectively. Blood culture grew Salmonella typhi in 7 cases of which 5 (72%) were multi drug resistant S. typhi.