Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Enteric Fever and Its Outcome Among Children Admitted in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Dhaka

Abstract

Background:Enteric fever remains a major health threat for the general population in Bangladesh, particularly among children, as they may be subject to poor sanitation and rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Increasing multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of Salmonella enterica serovars typhi and Paratyphi have complicated empirical treatment strategies.Objective:
To evaluate the patterns of sensitivity to antibiotics and symptom presentations of pediatric enteric fever cases in a tertiary care hospital in Dhaka. Materials and Method:
This prospective cross-sectional study was performed from July 2024 to July 2025 among 110 children (aged 0–18 years) admitted with blood culture–confirmed enteric fever. Demographic data, clinical symptoms, and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of Salmonella typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi isolates were recorded and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results:
Most patients (59.09%) were between 6–9 years, with a mean age of 9.4 ± 3.76 years. Coated tongue (59.09%) and organomegaly (36.36%) were the most frequent clinical signs. Among S. typhi isolates, sensitivity was highest for ceftriaxone (100%), followed by meropenem (90.0%) and azithromycin (90.0%). Resistance was highest to amoxicillin (54.6%), nalidixic acid (52.1%), and ofloxacin (45.0%). S. Paratyphi showed complete sensitivity to ceftriaxone and high sensitivity to cefixime (98.0%) and meropenem (95.0%), but demonstrated resistance that was high against nalidixic acid (82.8%) and azithromycin (34.0%).Conclusion:
Raised rates of resistance to commonly used antibiotics among Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi emphasize the urgent need for routine antimicrobial surveillance, stricter antibiotic stewardship, and updated treatment guidelines to ensure effective management of pediatric enteric fever in endemic regions.

J Med Coll Women Hosp.2026; 22(1): 60-66