Study of Absolute Eosinopenia as diagnostic and prognostic marker of Typhoid fever

Abstract

Background: Enteric fever, predominantly caused by Salmonella enterica subspecies, is a global health concern. Conventional diagnostic methods, like blood culture and the Widal test, have limitations. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of absolute eosinopenia in enteric fever. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 82 patients diagnosed with enteric fever over a one-year period. Eosinophil counts were recorded and compared against the results of the Widal test. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of eosinopenia were calculated. Results: Absolute eosinopenia was observed in 93.9% (n=77) of the patients. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of eosinopenia were 90.5%, 92.3%, 94.6%, and 86.7% respectively, outperforming the Widal test. A moderate negative correlation was found between eosinopenia severity and enteric fever severity. Conclusion: Absolute eosinopenia may serve as a superior diagnostic and prognostic marker for enteric fever compared to the traditional Widal test. Larger-scale studies are required to validate these findings.

Keywords: Enteric Fever; Eosinopenia; Diagnostic Marker; Widal Test; Sensitivity; Specificity; Positive Predictive Value; Negative Predictive Value.