

Knowledge regarding prevention and management of typhoid fever among

Mrs. D. Sheela ,
Nursing Superintendent,
Narayana Medical College
and Hospital,
Chinthareddypalem, Nellore.

Abstract: Typhoid (enteric) fever is a systemic infection in man, it is caused by Salmonella serotypes
which are strictly adapted to humans or higher primates, including Salmonella enteric serotypes Typhi,
Paratyphi A, Paratyphi B, and Paratyphi C. Enteric fever is a systemic infection caused by the human
adapted pathogens Salmonella enteric serotype Typhi (S. Typhi) and S. Paratyphi A, B, and C. Aim: The
aim of the study was to assess the knowledge regarding prevention and management of Typhoid fever.
Objectives: 1. To Assess the level of knowledge on prevention and management of Typhoid fever among
patients and care givers. 2. To associate the level of knowledge on prevention and management of Typhoid
fever among patients and care givers. with their selected demographic variables Methods: A descriptive
design was adopted for the study. 100 samples of patients and care givers were selected from Government
Area Hospital by using simple random sampling technique. Results: The study revealed that, Out of 100
samples, 41(41%) had inadequate knowledge, and 51(51%) had moderate knowledge, and 8(8%) had
adequate knowledge. Conclusion: The study concluded that, significant percentage of the patients and
care givers (51%) had moderate knowledge regarding prevention and management of Typhoid fever.
Keywords: Knowledge, Prevention, Management, Typhoid Fever, Patients, Care Givers.

Introduction: Typhoid (enteric) fever is a systemic endemic in Western Europe and North America and
infection in man that is caused by Salmonella serotypes that rate declined in parallel with the introduction of
which are strictly adapted to humans or higher treatment of municipal water, pasteurization of dairy
primates, including Salmonella enteric serotypes products.. Today enteric fever prevention focuses on
Typhi, Paratyphi A, Paratyphi B, and Paratyphi C. improving sanitation, ensuring the safety of food and
Enteric fever is a systemic infection caused by the water supplies, identification and management of
human adapted pathogens Salmonella enteric chronic carriers of S. Typhi, and the use of typhoid
serotype Typhi (S. Typhi) and S. Paratyphi A, B, and vaccines to reduce the susceptibility of hosts to
C. These organisms are important causes of febrile infection.
illness among crowded and impoverished populations Studies have shown that it is an effective
with inadequate sanitation who are exposed to unsafe evaluation tool to assess practical skills. In many
water and food, and also pose a risk to travellers instances the OSCE process has been adapted to test
visiting endemic countries. trainees from different healthcare related disciplines.
Contaminated water and food are important Also this method has attracted considerable attention
vehicles for transmission of typhoid fever. Historical because of high level of reliability, creditability and
surveillance data suggest that enteric fever was objectivity, content validity of the achieved skills,

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Fairness, creating motivation for learning, instructors assess the knowledge regarding prevention and
and students satisfaction. management of Typhoid fever among general patients
Need for the study: The disease is currently rare in and caregiver of patient who attending outpatient
the United States and Europe but endemic in Asia, department in Go vernment Area Hospital at
Africa and South America from where it can be Bhadrachalam, Telangana.
imported by foreign travel (Santos et al., 2001). Objectives:
Investigators from the US Centers for Disease Control 1. Assess the level of knowledge on prevention and
and Prevention estimate that there are 21.6 million management of Typhoid fever among general patient
typhoid cases annually, with the annual incidence and care giver at government area hospital at
varying from 100 to 1000 cases per 100 000 Bhadrachalam.
population. The global mortality estimates from 2. To associate the level of knowledge on prevention
typhoid have also been revised downwards from 600 and management of Typhoid fever among patients and
000 to 200 000, largely on the basis of regional care givers with their selected demographic variables.
extrapolations. Recent population based studies from Assumption: Most of the patients may have some
South Asia suggest that the incidence is highest in knowledge regarding prevention and management of
children aged less than 5 years, with higher rates of Typhoid fever.
complications and hospitalisation, and may indicate Delimitations
risk of early exposure to relatively large infecting doses 1. Patients and care givers attending selected hospital
of the organisms in these populations. at Bhadrachalam.
Enteric fever remains a major public health 2. The sample size was only 100.
challenge. Economic development and progress 3. Patients willing to participate in study.
towards the achievement of MDG 7 will assist low- Methodology:
and middle-income countries experience similar Research Approach: Quantitat ive Research
reduct ions in enteric fever as were seen in Approach.
industrialized countries a century ago. The occurrence Research design: Descriptive research design.
of enteric fever in poor populations with limited access Setting of the Study: The study was carried out in
to diagnostic services means that disease burden is Government area hospital of Bhadrachalam.
poorly quantified and policy makers have lacked the Population:
data needed to make decisions about the deployment Target Population: The target population of the study
of enteric fever prevention measures and vaccines. includes all the patients and care givers.
However, recent studies and vaccine demonstration Accessible Population: The accessible population of
projects are beginning to change this situation in Asia. the study includes all the patients and caregivers in
Such data are not yet available for other regions, Government area hospital of Bhadrachalam.
particularly sub-Saharan Africa. While Ty21a and Vi Sample: The sample for this study included patients
polysaccharide vaccines are effective, the development and caregivers in Government area hospital of
of cheap, safe vaccines with efficacy among infants Bhadrachalam.
that can provide protective immunity after a single Sample size: Sample size was 100 general patients
dose and that could be easily adapted for EPI would and care giver of patients.
facilitate adoption into national programs. The Sampling technique: Probability simple random
growing importance of S. Paratyphoid A as a cause of sampling technique.
enteric fever is of great concern, particularly due to Criteria for sample selection:
the lack of availability of an effective vaccine. Inclusion criteria
Statement of the problem: A descriptive study to General patients who;

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 Are attending the outpatient department during data Fig-2: Mean and Standard Deviation on
collection period. prevention and management of typhiod fever
 Can understand Telugu and English among general patients.
 Both male and females. Discussion:
Exclusion criteria  Regarding the level of knowledge, 41(41%) had
General patients who; inadequate knowledge, 51(51%) had moderately
 Are mentally ill. adequate knowledge and 8(8%) had adequate
 Are willing to participate in the study. knowledge prevention and management of typhoid
Development and Description of the Tool: fever.
Part-I: Demographic variables: It contains baseline  The pre-test mean knowledge score was 10.4
characteristics of general patients such as age, sex, with the standard deviation of 44.4.
religion, marital status, type of family, family history  There was a signification found between level of
of any illness, income of the family, resident of the knowledge and demographic variables such as fam-
patient, history of medical disorder and sources of ily income, history of disorder and area of residence
health information setting of study. at level P<0.05.
Part-II: Questionnaire to assess the knowledge. Conclusion:
It contains 20 structured questionnaire on prevention The findings of the study showed that the
and management of typhoid fever. majority of samples, 51(51%) had moderately
Results and discussion: adequate knowledge on prevention and management
of typhoid fever.
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