Outpatient management of uncomplicated enteric fever: A case series of 93 patients from the Hospital of Tropical Diseases, London.
J Infect 2022;
85:397-404. [PMID:
35781016 DOI:
10.1016/j.jinf.2022.06.025]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Enteric fever is predominantly managed as an outpatient condition in endemic settings but there is little evidence to support this approach in non-endemic settings. This study aims to review the outcomes of outpatients treated for enteric fever at the Hospital of Tropical Diseases in London, UK.
METHODS
We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients with confirmed enteric fever between August 2009 and September 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and microbiological data were collected and compared between the inpatient and outpatient populations. Outcomes investigated were complicated enteric fever, treatment failure and relapse.
RESULTS
Overall, 93 patients (59% male, median age 31) were identified with blood and/or stool culture confirmed enteric fever and 49 (53%) of these were managed as outpatients. The commonest empirical treatment for outpatients was azithromycin (70%) and for inpatients was ceftriaxone (84%). Outpatients were more likely than inpatients to receive only one antibiotic (57% vs 19%, p < 0.01) and receive a shorter duration of antibiotics (median 7 vs 11 days, p <0.01). There were no cases of complicated disease or relapse in either the inpatient or outpatient groups. There was one treatment failure in the outpatient group. Azithromycin was well-tolerated with no reported side effects.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that outpatient management of uncomplicated imported enteric fever is safe and effective with the use of oral azithromycin. Careful monitoring of patients is recommended as treatment failure can occur.
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