Clinical spectrum of scrub typhus in Eastern India: A 3 year experience
Abstract
Introduction: Scrub typhus is a serious public health problem in Eastern India.
Objectives: To study the clinical spectrum and complications of scrub typhus and its doxycycline responsiveness.
Method: This study was carried out over a 3 year period on 203 serologically confirmed scrub typhus cases in a tertiary care centre in Eastern India.
Results: Fever (100%), facial puffiness (66.5%), vomiting (51.7%) and headache (39.4%) were common symptoms whilst hepatosplenomegaly (61.6%) and generalised lymphadenopathy (60.1%) were common signs. Meningoencephalitis (33.4%) and shock (26.6%) were common complications. Shock, congestive heart failure (CHF), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH had delayed response to doxycycline therapy.
Conclusions: In this study meningoencephalitis and shock were the common complications of scrub typhus. Meningo-encephalitis, hepatitis and pneumonia had favourable doxycycline response whilst shock, CCF. DIC, HLH and AKI had delayed doxycycline response (p<0.05).
Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2021; 50(4): 610-616
© 2021 Suprit Basu, Sarbani Misra (Roy), Tanushree Mondal, Maidul Islam, Sumantra Sarkar, Mrinal Kanti Das, Malay Kumar Sinha, Sumana Datta (Kanjilal), Supratim Datta, published by Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians
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