Typhoid - Symptoms, Causes, and Prevention

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Typhoid is also known as Enteric fever. It is characterized by high grade fever of 101-104 F of at least one week duration. The fever does not touch the baseline. The child gets high grade fever with chills and shivering. There is weakness and the child looks sick. The child is lethargic. There is associated pain in the stomach and diarrhea. There may be nausea and vomiting and the child does not feel like eating. If not treated in time complications may occur. Ulcers may occur in the small intestine. This can give rise to severe abdominal pain. If timely treatment is not started, the ulcers may rupture. This leads to surgical intervention. In some cases encephalitis may occur.



According to Dr Mubina Agboatwalla – A child specialist in Karachi diagnosis is based on blood culture. Though a CBC can give some indication. Widal is not recommended and Typhidot is non specific. Treatment is mainly antibiotic. The correct anti biotic has to be given as antibiotic resistence has developed over time. Either oral or intravenous antibiotics are given for 10-14 days.

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