Ciprofloxacin for treatment of severe typhoid fever in children.

Eighteen children with bacteriologically confirmed severe typhoid fever were initially treated intravenously with ciprofloxacin (10 mg/kg of body weight per day). Clinical cure with eradication of multiresistant Salmonella typhi infection was observed in 17 patients (94.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 84 to 100%). Children regained normal consciousness within an average of 2 days (95% CI, 1.8 to 2.2 days). The temperatures of the children returned to normal within 3.3 days (95% CI, 3.1 to 3.5 days). Complications were not observed during the hospital stay or a 3-month follow-up period. Relapse and carrier state were also not encountered during the follow-up period.