Clinico-haematological profile of dengue virus infection at rural tertiary care centre in North India

Abstract

Background: In India, dengue epidemics are becoming more frequent. Dengue viral infections are among the most important mosquito-borne disease of the Indian subcontinent. The study aimed to compare the clinical and haematological profile of all patients diagnosed with dengue viral infection. Patient with confirmed infection with dengue virus were prospectively evaluated for disease progression and to determine their final clinical outcome. The objective of the study was to study the clinico-haematological profile of dengue infection at rural tertiary care centre.Methods: This prospective study included 456 clinically suspected cases of dengue infection of ages more than 14 years of age. Dengue was confirmed by serological methods. Confirmed cases of dengue infection were analyzed according to age, sex and education. Clinical and hematological data were compared between dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever.Results: Serologic dengue infection was positive in 220 (48%) out of 456 clinically suspected cases of the dengue infection. 127 (57.73%) patients were males and 93 (42.27%) were females. 149 (67.72%) patient had dengue fever while 71 (32.27%) had dengue hemorrhagic fever. The proportion of dengue cases was highest among male aged 15 to 24 years-old. A gradual decrease occurred in the percentage of dengue cases in the population aged 44 years-old or more. Common clinical symptoms were fever, headache, abdominal pain, myalgia, joint pain and retro-orbital pain. Common haematological abnormalities were thrombocytopenia, leukopenia and elevated alanine aminotransferase (SGOT).Conclusions: Differences in the clinical, biochemical and haematological profile of dengue virus infection, indicative of a variation in disease severity from DF to DHF. In this study, we present recent data on readily obtained clinical and laboratory data that can be used for early diagnosis and earlier appropriate treatment of dengue virus infection.