Pattern of dengue virus infection cases admitted in tertiary care hospital at Hyderabad, Sindh

Objective: To find out the pattern of Dengue virus infection in patients who presented with fever

Study Design: Prospective observational study

Setting: This study was conducted at Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences at Hyderabad. Sindh from November 2006 to December 2006

Methods: During this period all blood samples from 173 patients, suspected to be suffering from dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever and/or dengue shock syndrome, were received and tested for dengue IgM and IgG antibodies. Complete blood counts were also done. Patients with history of headache, retro-orbital pain, arthralgia, rash, and hemorrhagic manifestations, having leucopenia and thrombocytopenia were included in the study

Results: Most of the patients positive for dengue IgM antibodies were between the age group of 14-years to 50-years [49 males and 12 females]. Out of 173 samples 28 were positive for dengue IgM [primary infection] and 21 were positive for dengue IgG [secondary infection]. While 12 patients found to have late primary and early secondary response with both dengue IgM and IgG antibodies

Conclusion: Dengue fever presented in all three patterns in Sindh province; males predominated mostly with primary infection

utility of red cell discriminant function [DF] in screening for trait

This study was conducted to determine the frequency of minor in adult males at a tertiary referral center by using discriminant function [DF] and to compare mean MCV [mean corpuscular volume] and mean RBC [red blood cell] count in minor and non thalassaemia minor group. This was an observational cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Clinical Laboratory, Agha Khan University Hospital from 1[st] August 2003 to 31st October 2003. Blood samples were taken from normal individuals in EDTA and were run on Coulter STKS. The indices that were taken into consideration were haemoglobin, RBC count and MCV, DF was calculated by formula as proposed by England and Fraser. Discriminant Function = MCV- [5xHaemoglobin]-RBC-3.4. If the value was less than zero; it was interpreted as suspected thalassaemia minor. Mean MCV and mean RBC count in thalassaemia minor and iron deficiency anaemia were calculated and compared. A total of 1270 individuals were included in the study. In 70 individuals the red cell indices were found to be low their DF was calculated and thalassaemia minor was suspected in 49 individuals and this was confirmed with haemoglobin electrophoresis in 25 patients. Mean MCV was almost the same in both thalassaemia minor and iron deficiency anaemia. However, mean RBC count was relatively higher in case of thalassaemia minor. Discriminant function can be a good screening tool for evaluating patients with low red cell indices. However further and confirmation with haemoglobin electrophoresis is required for labeling a patient as having thalassaemia minor