Clinical and Laboratory Profile of Children with Dengue Fever and Predictors of Severe Dengue

Abstract

Objectives: To study the Clinical and Laboratory profile of children upto 12 years of age with Dengue fever and to study the predictors of Severe Dengue among these children. Methods: Design: Descriptive study over 1 year 9 months. Setting: SAT hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, a tertiary care center. Study Population: 204 children aged 1month to 12 years admitted with serologically confirmed dengue fever without any co-infections; consecutive sampling. Procedure: Relevant history, detailed physical examination and investigations were noted. Patients were classified for their severity based on DENGUE guidelines-WHO 2009. Children were followed up till discharge during hospital stay. Categorical values were expressed as proportions and quantitative variables in mean and standard deviation. Association between various study variables and severe dengue were statistically analysed. Results: Mild dengue was seen in 96 children(47.1%), moderate dengue in 78 children(38.2%) and severe dengue in 30 children(14.7%). Mean age of presentation was 6.4 years. Age distribution- infants were 4.4%, 38.7% were between 1 year and 5 years; 56.9% were between 6 and 12 years.51% of children were males. Common clinical presentation was fever (100%), vomiting(46.6%), abdominal pain(32.4%), lethargy(24.5%), myalgia(22%), headache(16.7%) and reduced appetite(15.7%). Mean fever duration was 5 days. Hypotension was noted in 13.2%, Tender hepatomegaly in 44%, signs of plasma leakage in 6%, hypoalbuminemia in 7.8%. Total number of death was 2(1%). Variables with significant association with severe dengue on univariate analysis were Lethargy (p-<0.001, OR- 11.6), reduced appetite (p- <0.001,OR- 17.14), mucosal bleed (p<0.001, OR- 15.45), Fever spike >39◦C (p- 0.001, OR- 4.3), tender hepatomegaly (p- 0.001, OR- 4.2), decreased urine output (p <0.001, OR- 23.04), hypoalbuminemia (p <0.001, OR-43.5), platelet count below 80,000 (p <0.001, OR-4.43), SGOT above 85 (p <0.001, OR-4.9). According to the maximum area under ROC curve, a cutoff of platelet count 80,000 had 75% sensitivity and 60% specificity for predicting severe dengue. Conclusion: Proportion of children developed severe dengue was 14.7%. Independent predictors of severe dengue after multiple logistic regression were Lethargy, Reduced appetite, Reduced urine output and Hypoalbuminemia. Keywords: severe dengue; urine output; shock; hypoalbuminemia.