The Typhidot test

The smaller lesion, on left, in September progressed to the larger abscess, on the right, in two months. Why? Because the physician treating this young lady kept on changing her antibiotics because of an initial positive TYPHIDOT test, while the fever didn't settle. (Eventually genexpert in sputum came out as positive and ATT was commenced). Typhidot, a non specific test, according to most reviews, is playing havoc with patients in Pakistan. Positive in so many febrile illnesses apart from typhoid, it delays the actual diagnosis in many cases, while leading to unnecessary treatment at the same time. Quality labs have stopped doing it, infectious disease societies do not recommend it for diagnosis of Typhoid, yet it continues to be the first test ordered by doctors in a case of fever. It's the modern Widal's test in fact.