Clinical Profile of Dengue Fever in Adults - A One Year Hospital Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives ABSTRACT Dengue fever has emerged as one of the most important arthropod tropical infections in the recent years with an estimated 2.5 billion people at risk all over the world. The objective of present study was to assess clinical profile, complications and outcomes of dengue fever in adult patients. Methods The present cross sectional study was conducted in Department of Medicine, at KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Belgaum during January 2008 to December 2008 on 200 Adult patients with dengue fever proved by micro ELISA test. Detailed history, clinical examination, blood investigations were performed. All baseline investigations, liver function test, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time and tourniquet test were done at admission. Hematocrit was monitored every 12 hourly in DHF Grade III and Grade IV and 12 hourly in DF, Grade I and Grade II DHF till vital signs were stable. Results In this study, majority of the patients ( 70% ) were in adult age group from 15 to 35 years, 22% were in 35 to 55 years age group and eight percent had more than 55 years of age. Out of 200 cases, tourniquet test was positive in 96 ( 48% ) cases of DF. It was 100% positive in Grade I DHF, 40 ( 20% ) patients in Grade II DHF, 32 ( 16% ) patients in Grade III DHF. Test was negative with Grade IV DHF. Raised APTT was observed in 83 ( 41.5% ) cases. In this study, 112 patients IX had only IgM positive and 88 patients had both IgM and IgG were positive. Out of which 52 ( 26% ) had bleeding manifestations and this correlation was statistically significant ( p=0.000) . Conclusion Dengue haemorrhagic fever is more common in younger age group with increased bleeding manifestation who had deranged aPTT, liver function test, low plate count ( <20,000 /cmm ) and IgM and IgG positive patients.