Clinical and Laboratory Profile of Dengue Fever.

OBJECTIVE: Dengue fever is one of the most common arboviral mediated outbreaks reported with increased prevalence year after year with considerable morbidity and mortality. This study was designed to assess the clinical and biochemical parameters of dengue fever patients.

METHODS: Prospective observational study was undertaken among adult patients in a military hospital. Five hundred fiteen patients were studied and analysed. All patients who were NS1 antigen/IgM dengue positive were included in the study. Clinical features, hematological and biochemical parameters were noted.

RESULTS: Of the 515 patients studied, majority were males (72.81%). Fever was the major symptom (100%) followed by headache (94.75%), myalgia (90.67%), retroorbital pain (18.25%), conjunctival injection (39.41%), rash (37.86%), abdominal pain (24.46%), pleural effusion (20%) and ascites (16.31%). Significant derangements in platelet (69.51%), leucocyte counts (20.19%) and serum transaminases (88.54%) were noted. Mortality rate was 0.77%.

CONCLUSIONS: Fever associated with headache, retroorbital pain, erythematous morbilliform rash, conjunctival suffusion and itching in palms and soles along with thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, elevated liver transaminases should prompt a clinician on the possibility of dengue infection. Platelet transfusions have little role in management of dengue patients.