Typhoid fever, ciprofloxacin and growth in young children

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Abstract
Typhoid fever remains a significant public health problem in Southern Asia, particularly with the emergence of multi-resistant strains of Salmonella typhi in the late 1980s. Use of ciprofloxacin in children, although discouraged, is increasing and we aimed to assess whether its use affects growth or the prevalence of joint symptomology. Children under 6 years of age diagnosed as typhoid fever on the basis of a positive Widal test were recruited in the outpatient department of a paediatric teaching hospital after treatment had been initiated. During 6 months follow-up, prevalences of arthritis/arthralgia and ponderal, linear and knemometric growth were recorded. Seventy-five children were recruited (mean age 32 months, mean weight-for-height Z-score—1.3, mean height-for-age Z-score 1.4) and 29 (39%) of them received ciprofloxacin. No significant adverse effects on ponderal, linear or knemometric growth, or on the incidence of arthritis/arthralgia were found to be associated with the use of ciprofloxacin. Knemometric and ponderal catch-up growth was demonstrable 30 days after diagnosis but linear growth was still declining 3 months after diagnosis with catch-up growth demonstrable only after 6 months. We conclude that ciprofloxacin is commonly used in typhoid fever and has no adverse effects on growth or joint symptomology.

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