[Typhoid fever in children under 2 years of age].

Out of 130 children under 12 years of age with a diagnosis of typhoid fever, nine were under two years of age; the youngest was five months old. Six patients were males and the most frequent findings were: high fever, poor physical condition, vomiting, diarrhea, malnutrition, dehydration, meteorism, liver and spleen enlargement, cough, bleeding disorders and central nervous system abnormalities which were suggestive of sepsis. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed in all patients through the isolation of Salmonella typhi in blood cultures. The Widal reaction showed higher than 1/160 "O" and "H" agglutinin titers in five out of six patients in which it was performed. Neutrophilia was observed in all cases, with a shift to the left in five of them. Anemia was present in all of them. The following complications were found: hepatitis (1 case), hepatitis and meningitis (1 case), bronchopneumonia (1 case), and bleeding abnormalities (4 cases). Two of the patients died; the deaths were attributed to late diagnosis and insufficient antibiotic treatment.