Disease Affecting The Gastrointestinal System – Typhoid Fever
AKA: Enteric Fever
Causative agent: Salmonella typhosa
Incubation period: Usually between 7 – 14 days
Period of communicability: For as long as the bacteria are in the stools
Mode of transmission:
- By food and water contaminated by stools and urine of patinets or carriers. The vehicles are the 5 F’s: Feces, Food, Flies, Fomites, Fingers
Diagnostic/Laboratory exams:
a. Blood culture: during the prodromal stage
- Widal test to determine the antigen left by the microorganism
> Antigen O (presently infected)
> Antigen H (has been exposed before or has received toxin)
> Typhoid (Typhidot)
b. Urine culture
c. Stool culture
Signs and Symptoms:
1. Prodromal stage (3-4 days)
- Dull headache, malaise
- Chills; fever; body aches
- Vomiting or diarrhea
2. Fastigeal/pyrexial stage (second week)
- Exanthema: rose spots (4-5 peculiar rose-colored macules or maculopapules seen on the 7th to the 12th day on the abdomen and chest in adults or on the face in infants)
- Ladder-like fever
- Enlarged spleen
- Typhoid psychosis
> Coma-vigil look (pupils dilate and patient appears to have blank stares or staring without seeing)
> Difficulty putting out the tongue
> Carphologia (involuntary and aimless picking of linen)
> Subsultus tendinum (involuntary twitching of the tendon of the wrists)
> Constant tendency to slip down toward the foot of the bed
3. Deferenscence stage (3rd week)
- Intestinal hemorrhage – microorganism produces ulcers in the intestine
- Intestinal perforation – spillage of fecal materials in the peritoneum, causing peritonitis
> persistence of fever
> abdominal pain, distention and rigidity
- Cough and hypostatic congestion of the lungs; pneumonia
- Leukopenia
4. Lysis/Convalescence stage
Although signs and symptoms subside, patient should still be observed for relapses which could be fatal
Management
Prevention
- Immunization, CDT (Cholera, Dysentery, Typhoid)
> Given 1M at the deltoid
> children; 0.25ml; Adults: 0.5 ml
> 6 months immunity
- Vivotif
> Capsule form
> Given 1 hour before meal every other day for 3 doses
> 3 years immunity
Control
- Proper handwashing; clean environment
- Boil drinking water
- Avoid street foods and improperly washed or improperly cooked food
Treatment
- Medical care
> The drug of choice is Chloromycetin
- Nursing care
> Regulation of the diet
> Prevention of dehydration
> hygiene and comfort
Related posts:
- Disease Affecting the Integumentary System – Herpes Zoster
- Diseases Affecting the Respiratory System – Diptheria
- What are the Stages of Infections?
- Important Information About Measles
- What is German Measles?
Tags: CDT, Chloromycetin, Enteric Fever, Gastrointestinal, Salmonella typhosa, Typhidot, Typhoid Fever
