Clinical profile of dengue fever in children admitted in a district hospital of South India

ABSTRACT

Background: To assess the clinical profile of dengue fever in children.Methods: In this Prospective observational study 110 patients who admitted in Government District Headquarters Hospital, Namakkal between 1st August 2019 to 31st December 2019 were included. Those patients with confirmed dengue, with IgM dengue antibody positive were included in this study. Detailed history was taken, and clinical examination was performed, and laboratory investigations were done.Results: In this study 110 patients were studied, majority were males. Fever was present in 100% of patients followed by headache, myalgia. The common signs and symptoms of dengue infection were fever, headache, body ache, retro-orbital pain, bleeding manifestations, and rash in 100%, 97.27%, 92.72%, 77.27%, 8.12%, and 60.90%, respectively. In 90 cases platelet count was less than 100,000/cumm of which bleeding manifestation was found in 9 patients. Pleural effusion and ascites were observed in 25 and 15 cases respectively. Hepatomegaly was noted in 19 cases and splenomegaly in 10. Leucopenia was present in 52 cases whereas raised liver enzymes were present in 51 cases. The mortality rate was 0.9%.Conclusions: Dengue epidemic has increased in recent past probably due to unplanned urbanization with rapid construction activities, unhygienic condition and poor sanitation facilities contributing fertile breeding soil for mosquitoes. Early diagnosis and management can decrease mortality and morbidity of illness. Platelet transfusions have little role in management of dengue patients.