Fatal Complications of Extensive Drug-Resistant Typhoid Fever: A Case Report

Cureus. 2023 Jun 20;15(6):e40672. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40672. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Typhoid fever is a systemic illness that often presents with fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. There are multiple complications associated with typhoid fever which includes intestinal perforation, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hepatitis, and anemia. In recent years, a new extensively drug resistant (XDR) strain of Salmonella typhi (S. typhi) emerged, associated with higher incidence of complications, responding to azithromycin and carbapenems only. In this article, we report a case of a 28-year-old Pakistani male who initially presented with fever and bloody diarrhea, complicated by massive lower gastrointestinal bleed, leading to his mortality. This case, being the first reported case in Bahrain, illustrates the importance of considering hepatic manifestations and lower gastrointestinal bleeding as fatal complications of typhoid fever, especially in the setting of recent travel to Southeast Asia.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance; complications of typhoid fever; hepatic manifestations; massive gastrointestinal bleeding; salmonella typhi; typhoid fever; xdr- typhoid.

Publication types

  • Case Reports