Changing pattern of antibiotic sensitivity of Salmonella typhi

Background. The emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella typhi led to th e use of quinolones as the first-line drug in the treat-ment of adult patie nts with typhoid fever. However, over the last few years there has been an impression that patients on ciprofloxacin tended to take longer to deferves ce. We studied the response and antibiotic sensitivity patterns during 2 ti me periods to assess the changes that may have occurred. Methods. A retrospective analysis was done of blood culture-positive patien ts with Salmonella typhi infection during 1991 and 1996-97. The mode of pre sentation, treatment history, antibiotic sensitivity pattern, antibiotics a dministered, response to therapy and the complications that ensued were stu died. Results. in vitro sensitivity to ciprofloxacin was found to be 100% in both the study groups. It was found that a greater number of patients were sens itive to ampicillin (80%), chloramphenicol (80%) and co-trimoxazole (80%) d uring 1996-97 as compared to 1991, when sensitivity to ampicillin was 63%, chloramphenicol 65% and co-trimoxazole 65%. The mean (SD) defervescence per iod in 1991 was 6 (2.3) days and in 1996-97 was 6 (2) days (p>0.05). Conclusion. In vitro sensitivity of Salmonella typhi to ciprofloxacin remai ns 100%. There was an increase in the sensitivity to ampicillin, chloramphe nicol and co-trimoxazole which have been rarely used over the past few year s. There was no significant difference in the time taken to defervesce betw een the two study periods.