Clinico-epidemiological profile of paediatric dengue patients in a tertiary care hospital: a retrospective study in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Background: Dengue is a mosquito borne viral disease in the world with unpredictable clinical course and outcome. Though it is self-limiting in most of patients, the dengue hemorrhagic stage and dengue shock syndrome are life threatening.

Methods: It is a retrospective cross-sectional observational record-based study conducted in King George Hospital in Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, AP, India. Upon clinical suspicion, Dengue fever was confirmed by NS 1 antigen and/or Dengue antibody IgM, IgG in KGH laboratory in patients who were admitted in the hospital data was collected from records after ethical committee approval. Data of pediatric dengue positive cases in the age group ranging between 0-14 years from January 2018 - November 2018 were reviewed.

Results: In this study the highest percentage of age group was found between 0-5 years. Fever was present in 100% cases, abdominal pain in 47% cases, rash, nausea/vomiting were found in 37%, headache in 12.35%, myalgia/ arthralgia or backache in 13.48%, retro orbital pain in <1% cases. Dengue fever (DF) was found in 46 % cases, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in 50% and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) in 3.9 cases.

Conclusions: The study found among these 50% developed DHF and 46% DF and 3.9% DSS. Early admissions of pediatric cases can prevent major complications like DHF and DSS. The predominant complaints found were fever, vomiting and abdominal pain in paediatric group.