Author(s): Srinivasa S, Tanveer Nawab, Chaithanya C Nair
Dengue fever is one of the most important emerging vector-borne viral diseases. There are four serotypes of dengue viruses, each of which is capable of causing self-limited dengue fever or even life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and sonographic findings of dengue fever. This cross sectional observational study included 200 serologically confirmed children with dengue fever admitted in the year 2013. The participants were clinically and serologically evaluated against NS1 antigen, IgM and IgG antibody. These patients also underwent USG abdomen and chest within the first week of the illness. Out of the 200 confirmed dengue cases, 106(53%) cases were males and the remaining 94 (47%) were females. The most common age group was school going chidren (42%) and adolescents (36%). All the cases had fever (100%). Other features were vomiting in 72%, abdominal pain in 46 %, 67cases (33.5%) had hepatomegaly in 33.5%, hypotension and shock in 23.5%, bradycardia in 13%, and rashes in 10.5%. Investigations revealed thrombocytopenia in 97%, hemoconcentration in 94.5%, leucopenia (< 4000/mm3) in 63% and raised liver enzymes in 43.5%. The ultrasonographic findings were hepatomegaly in 84 cases, gall bladder thickening in 61 and splenomegaly in 16.5% of cases. Pleural effusion was noticed in 46.5% and 74 cases (37%) had ascites. All the 4 cases who expired had shock and ARDS.