Pirzada Muhammad Anwer, Shahid Rasool, Mirza Akmal Sharif.
Typhidot test and blood culture for the diagnosis of Typhoid Fever.
Professional Med J Jan ;9(2):139-44.

Typhoid fever is endemic in Pakistan and its clinical diagnosis is difficult due to a diverse presentation of the patients. Early and accurate diagnosis is of utmost importance to save the patient from dreadful complications. This prospective study was conducted to observe the sensitivity and specificity of typhidot test for the diagnosis of typhoid fever. Adult patients presenting with acute febrile illness were interviewed in all the Medical Units of Allied Hospital, Faisalabad. Thirty patients were selected who proved to have salmonella infection on blood culture. There was a male to female ratio of 3:1 and maximum number of patients were between 21-30 years of age. Many patients presented with unusual symptoms mimicking other diseases. For comparative study another group of 30 patients was selected who did not have salmonella infection on blood culture and widal test was also negative in this group. Typhidot test was performed on all these patients of both groups. Among 30 cases of proved salmonella infection, typhidot test was positive in 26 cases giving it a sensitivity of 87 percent. In the other group who were having no typhoid illness, typhidot test was positive in only two out of thirty patients giving it a specificity of 39%. So it is concluded that typhidot test is a much sensitive and specific test. It may be helpful for the serological diagnosis of typhoid fever even in remote areas of our country.

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