Association of Gallbladder Wall Thickening and Haematocrit Values with Severity in Patients of Dengue Fever

Abstract

BACKGROUND The word “dengue” originates from the Bantu phrase Ka- dinga pepo, meaning “cramp-like seizure”. Breakbone fever viruses are enclosed in the family Flaviviridae and the virus has four serotypes through-about to as Dengue virus-1, DV-2, DV-3, and DV-4. Breakbone fever virus is a ribonucleic acid virus, encapsulated and is positive-stranded and consists of 3 structural macromolecule genes that encrypt the nucleocapsid or core (c) macromolecule, a membrane-associated (M) macromolecule, an engulfed (E) conjugated protein and 7 non-structural (NS) proteins. Dengue virus is principally transmitted by the dipteron / Aedes aegypti mosquito, two-winged insects and conjointly by the Asian tiger mosquito. The purpose of this study was to find an association of gall bladder wall thickening and haematocrit values with severity in patients with dengue fever admitted to Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Hospital, Sitapura, Jaipur (a tertiary care unit). METHODS It was a hospital-based observational study, conducted on all patients who were positive for dengue NS1 Antigen and IgM serology & who visited the Department of General Medicine in Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Hospital, Sitapura, Jaipur from January 2020 to June 2021 were included in the study. All data were collected and analyzed by EPI-info software. RESULTS The association between gall bladder thickness and PCV was found statistically significant. Associations between PCV and prognosis and that of gall bladder thickness and prognosis were also found statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS We concluded that gall bladder wall thickness and haematocrit values are significant contributors to the assessment of the severity of dengue fever. The main advantage of this method is that it is a fast and easily approachable method and can be easily practised in most centres.