Clinical and epidemiological features of Salmonella Septicaemia at the University Teaching Hospital,Lusaka

SETTINGS
Study was conducted at the University Teaching Hospital medical wards. 98 Patients with positive blood cultures for Salmonella spp. were studied.
OBJECTIVES
To describe clinical and epidemiological features of Salmonella septicaemia at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka.
METHODS
Consecutive patients who met the inclusion criteria were recruited into the study. All patients were clinically evaluated.Bloods cultures, slides for malaria parasite, urea and electrolytes, HIV test and Haemoglobin, were done to all patients using approved routinely used methods at University Teaching Hospital. Salmonella serogrouping and antibiotic sensitivity test were done at the University of Colorado USA.
RESULTS
Greater number of the patients was between 23 years and 39 years of age, with median of 32 years. Salmonella typhimurium is the commonest isolate (60%). Salmonella munchen and S.heidelberg, which were recently isolated for the first time in Zambia, were also isolated in this study (2%) each). Salmonella isolates are 100%) sensitive to
Ceftazidime, Ciprofloxacin and Ceftriaxone. Chlromphenicol intermediate sensitive by 96%. The rate of HIV among Salmonella septicaemia patient was found to be 15.5%. 75% of these patients had major co-existing disease conditions such as, pulmonary tuberculosis (35.7%)), Meningitis (20.4%)), Kaposis sarcoma (7.1%o), etc.
CONCLUSION
Clinical and epidemiological features of the Salmonella septicaemia in our patients could not be determined due to co-existence of major disease conditions, which confound the clinical manifestation of Salmonella septicaemia.