Publication:

A gender based comparative analysis of laboratory investigations in scrub typhus patients at tertiary care teaching hospital of Southern Rajasthan, India

Background Scrub typhus is an acute febrile infectious disease which is common in both male and female patients. This study was done to compare the laboratory tests of the scrub typhus patients with reference to sex.

Methods This retrospectively study was carried out in diagnosed scrub typhus patients who were admitted to intensive care unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital of Southern Rajasthan. Diagnosis was done by testing for specific IgM antibodies against Orientia tsutsugamushi using a commercial ELISA kit.

Results Out of total 72 undiagnosed acute febrile illness patients, 26 (36.11%) were diagnosed as scrub typhus. Mean age of the patients was 39.5±12.1. There were 12 (46.15%) males and 14 (53.5%) females. Out of all 26 patients, 3 (11.54%) patients died. All laboratory tests were having non-significant difference between male and female values except haemoglobin, platelets count, serum Na and alkaline phosphatase. Raised creatinine, SGOT, SGPT and decreased albumin was found in all patients. Thrombocytopenia was found in all 12 males (100%) and 11 females (78.57%). Raised bilirubin level was found more in males (10, 83.33%) as compared to females (5, 35.71%) which were statistically significant. Raised alkaline phosphatase level was found more in female (12, 85.71%) as compared to male (5, 50%) which was also significant.

Conclusions Scrub typhus should be considered in differential diagnosis for both male and female acute febrile illness patients due to its non-significant difference in their laboratory values.