Predictors, Risk Factors and Clinical Features Associated with Severe Dengue Fever

Abstract

Objective: To study predictors, risk factors and clinical features associated with severe Dengue fever on basis of initial symptom onset, laboratory investigations and physical findings. Study Design:  Cross-Sectional Analytical Study. Place and Duration of Study: Dengue Ward, Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi, Pakistan from Dec 2021to Mar 2022. Methodology: Study included 198 hospitalized, serologically proven cases of dengue fever. Patient demographics, symptoms, laboratory parameters and disease complications including bleeding, pleural effusion, ascites were recorded. Parametric tests were done for normally distributed continuous variables. Comparison of means was done for categorical variables. Pearson coefficient was used for quantitative variables. A p value of <0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Out of total 198 patients, 136(68%) were male and 62(31%) were female. Commonly reported symptoms were fever 76(38%), chills 57(29%), rigors 72(36%), headache 66(33%) and body aches 56(28%). Among disease complications bleeding occurred in 30(15%), pleural effusions in 49(24%), ascites in 44(22%) of patients.    Conclusion: The elderly individuals, male gender, patients with thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, and abnormal liver function test showed higher severity and complication rates.