Clinical profile of dengue and predictive severity variables among children at a secondary care hospital of Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico: case series

Abstract

Abstract Background Dengue continues to increase globally. Currently, the highest incidence of primo-infection occurs in the pediatric population, where severe dengue fever is potentially lethal. This study characterizes the clinical profile of pediatric patients with dengue fever in the South of Mexico. Methods We undertook a case series study of 133 pediatric inpatients with a clinical diagnosis of non-severe dengue and severe dengue fever. We described univariate analysis as means or percentages using a p Results 58% of patients (77/133) had severe dengue. There were significant differences among the dengue groups in the following signs and symptoms: fever, abdominal pain, epistaxis and platelet count. Children older than four years of age had a higher proportion of severe dengue (p Conclusions The results of this exploratory study suggest changes in the frequency of clinical signs and symptoms among pediatric inpatients. Pediatric patients with a presumptive diagnosis of dengue, showing fever of ≥ 39 °C, myalgia, arthralgia and abdominal pain should be considered as potential cases of severe dengue.