Treatment of typhoid fever
Treatment of typhoid fever, an infectious disease caused by salmonella typhi bacteria, can be performed with rest, antibiotics prescribed by the doctor, a diet indicated by the nutritionist with a minimum of fats and calories and the intake of liquids such as water, natural.juices and teas to hydrate the patient.
- Hospitalization is usually necessary in severe cases of typhoid fever.
- So the person receives antibiotics and a saline solution directly from the vein.
Treatment of typhoid fever is done on an outpatient basis, i.e. with the use of antibiotics and hydration.The most common antibiotic recommended by your doctor is chloanfenicol, which should be used as directed by your doctor.However, in some cases, your doctor may recommend the use of ceftriaxone or ciprofloxacin, for example, when the patient’s condition is severe or when bacteria are resistant to other antibiotics.
In addition, it is recommended that the person remain at rest and eat a low-fat diet and foods that retain the intestine.In more severe cases, treatment should be done in the hospital and involves administering the antibiotic directly into the vein.
Generally, after the fifth day of antibiotic treatment, the person no longer presents the symptoms of the disease, however it is important that the treatment is continued according to the doctor’s instructions, since the bacteria can remain in the body for about 4 months without causing a symptom, for example.
When typhoid fever is not treated immediately or when treatment is not done as recommended by your doctor, certain complications, such as abdominal bleeding, bowel perforation, widespread infection, coma, and death, may occur.
Therefore, it is important that treatment is done correctly even if symptoms go away.
Signs of improvement in typhoid fever include decreased headaches and stomach pains, decreased episodes of vomiting, decreased or disappeared fever, and disappearance of reddish spots on the skin.The improvement in symptoms usually occurs about the fourth week after infection with the bacteria..
Signs of aggravation of typhoid fever are related to aggravation of symptoms, such as increased fever, more red spots on the skin, in addition to those that already existed, increased headaches and abdominal pain, as well as episodes of vomiting and coughing, which can be accompanied by blood, an increase in belly swelling that can become stiff and the presence of blood in the stool , which may indicate that the treatment is not being performed correctly or is not effective.
Recommendations for typhoid fever, which should be followed to prevent typhoid fever and also during treatment, include:
It is very important that the person receives this care, as typhoid fever can be transmitted by eating food or water contaminated with faeces or urine from the patient or the person who, despite the absence of symptoms, is still infected with the bacteria.
If the person travels to an area where the risk of infection is high, the typhoid fever vaccine is the best way to prevent the disease.Learn more about typhoid fever and your vaccine.