Clinical studies were carried out on the 390 cases of typhoid fever patients treated in the Chonnam University Hospital during the last 3 years and 5 months, and following results were obtained.
1. Seasonal occurrences were prominent in June, July and August and 32.5% of total cases was found in these months. Most cases (41.8%) were found in. 20?29 age group and 62% of total patients visited the hospital within 2 weeks after the onset of the disease.
2. The most common symptoms were fever (84.9%), headache (45.4%), chillness (44.4%), abdominal pain (30.3%), diarrhea (26.0%).
Important physical signs were ileocecal tenderness (51.8%), hepatomegaly (38.5%), coated tongue (25.4%), tachycardia (21.5%) and splenomegaly (21.0%).
3. Peripheral blood findings showed leukopenia in 30.3% and leukocytosis in 10.8% of the cases. Anemia (hemoglobin less than 10 gm%) were found in 22.6% of total cases.
4. Widal reaction (1:160) were positive in 84%, of the total cases. Bacteriological study showed positive blood culture in 25% of the cases.
5. Results of liver function tests were as follow: SGOT or SGPT elevated higher than 80 unit in 39 cases (50.5%) out of 82 cases. CCF test showing higher than ++/24 hr were 22% and TTT test higher than 5 units were 12% of the total cases.
6. Clinically favorable responses were obtained in 62% of cases treated with 1.5?3.0g chloramphenicol daily and fever disappeared on the 5th day after the onset of treatment. Average defervescence of the cases with chloramphenicol and penbritin (33% of the cases) was 6th day.
7. The complications were found in 1% of total cases and the most common complications were intestinal perforation (20 cases, 47%), intestinal hemorrhage (18 cases, 42%), pneumonia (4 cases, 8.5%), psychosis (3 cases, 5%), and hepatitis (2 cases, 4%). These complications were often encountered during the second to third week of the disease.
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