CONVULSIONS IN CHILDHOOD SHIGELLOSIS AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE PATTERNS OF SHIGELLA ISOLATES

Drug resistance patterns of 68 shigella strains were investigated pros pectively in Kayseri during a period of approximately two years. The r esistance was highest with ampicillin (58.8%) followed by co-trimoxazo le (50%) and ampicillin-sulbactam (13%). Only 2.8 percent of cases wer e resistant to gentamicin, and all serogroups were sensitive to ceftri axone. We conclude that in children with severe shigellosis, treatment with ceftriaxone is effective and better than ampicillin and co-trimo xazole for obtaining a clinical cure. We followed 18 children who expe rienced convulsions associated with shigellosis. Only one child had a history of febrile convulsions, and two children had histories of conv ulsive disorders. The majority of the children had generalized, self-l imited convulsions which lasted less than ten minutes. Due to the beni gn and self-limited nature of most of the convulsions, neither diagnos tic procedures nor drug therapy are usually necessary. These measures should, however, be considered in complicated cases characterized by f ocal or prolonged seizures.