# Variations of blood viscosity in acute typhoid fever: A cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study found that blood viscosity trends increase in acute typhoid fever patients due to changes in blood cells and proteins, which could raise complication risks.

## Contribution

The study provides new empirical evidence on blood viscosity changes in acute typhoid fever patients.

## Key findings

- Typhoid fever patients had significantly lower blood cell counts compared to healthy controls.
- Plasma total protein levels were significantly higher in typhoid fever patients.
- Hematocrit levels suggested a trend toward increased blood viscosity in typhoid fever patients.

## Abstract

Typhoid fever (TF) is a systemic infection caused by Salmonella Typhi (Salmonella Enterica) transmitted through contaminated water, food, or contact with infected individuals. In various infectious diseases, blood viscosity (BV) is affected by changes in hemoglobin concentrations and acute phase reactants. Inflammatory responses can lead to elevated plasma protein levels and further affect BV. This study aimed to investigate BV changes in patients with acute TF. A cross-sectional study was performed involving 55 patients with acute TF compared to 38 healthy controls. BV and inflammatory parameters were measured in both groups. TF patients showed reduced blood cells compared to healthy controls (p=0.001). Additionally, plasma total protein (TP) levels significantly increased to 10.79±1.05 g/L in TF patients compared to 7.035±1.44 g/L in healthy controls (p=0.03). Hematocrit (HCT) levels were 11.67±2.89% in TF patients and 12.84±2.02% in healthy controls (p=0.07), suggesting a trend towards increased BV in TF patients. Elevated BV is involved in the pathogenesis of different inflammatory and infectious diseases. The increased BV in TF patients may raise the risk of complications. Therefore, monitoring BV might be a crucial tool in TF patients, mainly in the high-risk group, for early detection of cardiovascular complications.