Failure of kanamycin in thetreatment of typhoid fever

Abstract

Summary Five patients with acute typhoid fever were treated with intramuscular kanamycin. Of the 4 patients who were symptomatic, 2 exhibited clinical improvement on kanamycin therapy. Despite a decrease in fever in one and in the severity of the diarrhea in both patients, S. typhosa was isolated from the stools of both patients following therapeutic courses of kanamycin. Neither of the other 2 patients exhibited any beneficial effect attributable to kanamycin. The variability of the clinical course and of the cultivation of typhoid bacilli from the stools of patients with typhoid fever is emphasized.