Study of clinical and haematological profile of dengue fever in a tertiary care hospital

 

D P Bhurke¹, Nihal Ahmed KhanIqbal Ahmed Khan², Mohammed Ubaidulla Mohammed Ataulla^3*

 

¹Professor and HOD, ²PG Student, ³Associate Professor, Department of Medicine Dr. Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College, Nanded, Maharashtra, INDIA.

Email: khannihal697@gmail.com

 

Abstract              Background: Dengue fever (DF) is an acute febrile infectious disease in subtropical and tropical areas which is one of the world’s major emerging infectious disease. Over half of the world’s population lives in areas at risk of infection. The etiologic agents include all four serotypes which belong to the genus flavivirus in the family flaviviridae. The principal vector is the mosquito, aedesaegypti, which breeds largely indoors in Artificial waters containers, and feeds on humans in daytimes. The clinical manifestations of dengue vary and can be classified into five presentations. Objectives: To study the clinical manifestations and some laboratory parameters and various complications and outcome in the patients of dengue fever. Methodology: In this prospective study, 100 cases with dengue infection who were admitted from June 2015 to June 2017 at a tertiary care hospital were studied. The patients were labelled as belonging to either of the following categories: Classical Dengue Fever (DF) or Dengue Haemorrhagic fever (DHF) or Dengue shock syndrome (DSS) Results: Highest number of cases were from 12-20 years (33%).The majority of cases (81%) had DF, 19% had DHF, while no patient of DSS. Fever was the most common symptom followed by Headache. Haemoconcentration was found in only 4 patients with DHF. Liver enzymes were elevated in 10 patients of DF and in 8 patients with DHF while deranged RFT were found in 21% patients with DHF and 2.46% patients of DF. Coagulation profile was deranged in 5 patients (26.31%) in DHF and in none in DF. Pleural effusion was found in 10 patients (52.6%) and ascites was found in 11 patients (58%) of DHF. Hepatomegaly was present in 18 patients (22%) of DF and 8 patients (42%) of DHF. Conclusions: Typical biphasic pattern of fever was seen in only a small number of patients. The most common haemorrhagic manifestations were haematemesis and malaena. A positive tourniquet test was found only in a small number of patients. Thrombocytopenia is an important haematological finding, both in DF and DHF patients. Leukopenia is found in majority of the patients with DF and DHF.

Key Words: dengue fever.