UNCOMPLICATED TYPHOID FEVER

Abstract

Objectives: Objectives of this study were To compare the clinical andbacteriological cure rates of azithromycin and ciprofloxacin in the treatment of uncomplicatedtyphoid fever and To determine any difference in the clinical and bacteriological cure rateswithin the two groups of study. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Setting: Departmentof Medicine, DHQ/ Teaching Hospital Dera Ghazi Khan. Period: April 2016 to September 2016.Patients and Methods: A total of 60 patients including both males and females over 18 yearsof age were included in the study by Simple random probability sampling. Patients fulfilling theinclusion criteria were divided in two equal groups of 30 by using the random numbers table.First group was treated with azithromycin one gram on day one and then 500 mg daily for nextsix days. Second group was treated with ciprofloxacin 500mg twice daily for ten days. All thedata was analyzed by the computer programme SPSS. Frequency, percentages, mean valuesand standard deviations were calculated for age, sex, symptoms, signs, culture reports, clinicalcure rates and bacteriological cure rates. Results: Most common clinical feature was fevernoted in 100% patients followed by headache (86.6%) and nausea / vomiting (76.6%). Out of60, 52 (86.6%) patients were culture positive. In Azithromycin group clinical and bacteriologicalresponses were achieved in 93.3% and 92.3% respectively while in ciprofloxacin group theywere 96.6% and 96.15% respectively. There was no significant statistical difference between theclinical and bacteriological cure rates among two groups. Conclusion: Both ciprofloxacin andazithromycin are equally effective in the treatment of uncomplicated typhoid fever.