SCRUB TYPHUS: CLINICAL PROFILE AND LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS
Meenakshi Kante, Rishi Gowtham R, *Dr. Usha Kalawat, Dr. Padmalatha AM and Dr. Siddarth Kumar B
ABSTRACT
Background: Scrub typhus is an acute febrile illness caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of larva of trombiculid mites. The Aim of the present work was to study the changes associated in clinical profile and laboratory manifestations of scrub typhus patients. Methods: We conducted Retrospective study in Department Of Microbiology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), Tirupati over a period of Jan 2013 – Dec 2016. Detection IgM antibodies was done by ELISA using In Bios International TM IgM ELISA manufactured by (In BiOS International Inc.USA). Clinical features and laboratory findings of the patients were retrieved from hospital medical records. The Statistical software IBM SPSS for windows version 16.0 Armonk, NY IBM Corp. was used for data analysis. Results: In this study 857 patients were confirmed to have scrub typhus by serology. In Our study greatest number of scrub typhus were reported in the age group 18-49 (51.34%). Male and female ratio was 1.06:1. Fever was the most common symptom (100%). The most severe complication was Hepatic dysfunction (49.9%) followed by renal dysfunction paedal odema (14.5%), splenomegaly (5.3%), meingoencephalitis (4.2%), respiratoryfailure (4.08%), lymphadenopathy (2.33%), septic shock (1.8%) conjuctival congestion (1.4%),cerebral atrophy and pericardial effusion (1.28%) and jaundice (0.1%) in decreasing order. Laboratory findings noted were Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (67.6%) thrombocytopaenia (66.2%), Aspartate transaminase (61%), leucopaenia (52.5%), leucocytosis (32.5%), Alanine transaminase (28.2%) and thrombocytosis (1.1%). Conclusion: We conclude that prompt clinical findings and confirmed diagnosis will be helpful for clinicians to initiate appropriate treatment without delay leading to reduction of morbidity and mortality.
Keywords: Fever, Orientia tsutsugamushi, Scrub typhus, Thrombocytopaenia, Tirupati.
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