Dengue Fever and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in Makarak Hospital

Abstract

A retrospective descriptive and analytical study was done on 210 dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever cases admitted to the department of pediatrics, Makarak hospital, during January 1, 2007 - December 31, 2007. Out of  210 hospitalized cases, 33 case( 15.71%) were not dengue infection, and 177 cases (84.29%) were confirmed by serology test as dengue infection showing DF:DHF  87:90. Rated by its severity,76.69 percent fell in grade II , 19.13 percent in grade III, and only 9.18 percent in grade I. No critical patient (grade IV) was found in the study. The most common signs and symptoms were fever (65.4%), vomiting(68.2%), abdominal pain(65.4%), hepatomegaly(63.5%), and headache(51.7%). Also positive tourniguet results were found in most of them (86.7%). WBC was reportedly lower than normal. Levels of platelets in DHF case was lower than those in DF. Symptoms and signs of DF and DHF were likely to be the same but differed in nausea /vomiting, abdominal pain, hepatomegaly and petichiae.