Antibiotics for typhoid fever

Do not use leftover antibiotics or copy another person's prescription. A clinician may use blood or other tests, your travel history, allergies, pregnancy status and local resistance information to guide treatment.

Typhoid fever is caused by Salmonella Typhi bacteria. Some strains resist medicines that previously worked, so the appropriate antibiotic can differ according to where the infection was acquired and the laboratory result. Treatment also needs review if fever or other symptoms fail to improve as expected.

Even after symptoms ease, bacteria may remain in the body. Completing the prescribed course reduces the chance of treatment failure and ongoing carriage. Never save doses for a future illness.

Take every dose exactly as prescribed and contact the treating clinic if you vomit doses, cannot keep fluids down or develop troublesome side effects. Drink safe fluids and follow food-safety and handwashing advice, because the bacteria can spread through contaminated food, water and unwashed hands.

Keep follow-up appointments and provide any requested samples. Tell the clinician about recent travel, all medicines and supplements, medicine allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and whether you handle food or care for vulnerable people.

Seek urgent medical care for severe or worsening abdominal pain, a swollen or rigid abdomen, blood in stool, confusion, fainting, marked weakness, very little urine, breathing difficulty, or an inability to drink. These features can indicate dehydration or a serious complication.

Get prompt advice if fever continues or returns during or after treatment, diarrhoea is worsening, or a new rash, facial swelling, wheeze or breathing problem occurs after an antibiotic. Breathing difficulty or facial swelling after a dose is an emergency.

Ask which test will confirm the infection, whether the likely exposure location affects the antibiotic choice, how and when to take each dose, which side effects warrant a call, and whether repeat testing is needed. You can also ask when it is safe to return to work and whether household members need assessment or vaccination advice.