STUDY OF CLINICAL AND LABORATORY PROFILE OF DENGUE FEVER PATIENTS

Spoorti Vulavala*, Yugandhar Reddy and Prabhakar Kamarthy

ABSTRACT

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 rural tertiary care hospital. One fifty-five patients were studied and analysed. All patients who were NS1 antigen/IgM dengue positive were included in the study. Clinical features, haematological and biochemical parameters were noted. Results: Of the 155 patients studied, Majority of the patients were in 18-40 age group (60.32%) and were predominantly males (70.97%). Fever was present in all patient, followed by myalgia (94.83%), headache (90.96%). Thrombocytopenia(<50,000/cumm) at presentation was seen in 78.06% of cases. Leucopenia was noticed in 34.19% of cases. Raised liver serum transaminases were noted in 61.93% of patients out of which SGOT was elevated in 72.67% and SGPT in 27.33% of patients. Raised haematocrit (>45%) was noted in 23.22% of patients at presentation. Mortality rate was 1.29%. Conclusion: We conclude that dengue infection, which possesses serious public health problem, can be diagnosed early with the help of clinical features like retro orbital pain, myalgia, bleeding manifestations, thrombocytopenia, SGOT greater than SGPT that is supported by detection of NS1 antigen, IgG and IgM antibodies. Platelet transfusions have little role in management of dengue patients.

Keywords: Dengue fever, thrombocytopenia, serum transaminases.