Typhoid fever is an illness that results from infection with the Salmonella Typhi bacterium. It causes fever, and gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. Other times, infected individuals can be asymptomatic even though they can still pass the infection to others. If untreated however, typhoid fever can result in life-threatening complications in symptomatic individuals thus, it should be treated promptly. In this article, we examine the diagnosis and treatment of typhoid fever and complications of untreated typhoid infection.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis typically begins with a doctor taking a history of the illness – its duration and symptoms, and examination of the patient. Investigations help the doctor to confirm the diagnosis of typhoid fever. The culture of the patient’s stool, urine, and blood are the common investigations that are usually done. Once investigations confirm the diagnosis of typhoid fever, treatment should be commenced.

Treatment

Typhoid fever is treated with antibiotics however, severely ill patients or complicated cases will require additional treatment and probably a hospital admission. The choice of antibiotics for treatment depends on the susceptibility of the bacteria to the antibiotic. Typically, Ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, or ofloxacin, or ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, or cefixime, or Azithromycin are routinely used. Other times, the bacteria can develop resistance to these medications, so a different antibiotic might be used.

Complications

The various complications of untreated typhoid fever include:

1. 1. Intestinal perforation
2. 2. Bleeding
3. 3. Sepsis
4. 4. Pneumonia
5. 5. Meningitis
6. 6. Osteomyelitis
7. 7. Delirium
8. 8. Death