Frequency of cardiac events in patients admitted with dengue fever at Kuwait Teaching Hospital Peshawar

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the frequency of various cardiac events in patients admitted with dengue fever at Kuwait Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. Materials and methods: NS1 viral antigen detection method was used for serologic confirmation of dengue virus infection. All patients provided their informed permission before being assigned to a sample or having their data used in study. The researcher took the history and confirmed the presence of risk factors like hypertension and diabetes and along with that ECG and echocardiographic evaluation of all the patients at the time of admission and discharge were recorded. Results: Electrocardiographic assessment revealed that 91 (58%) patients had normal ECG, 04 (2.52%) had broad QRS complexes, 09 (5.73%) had diffuse T-wave inversions, 02 (1.27%) had low-voltage QRS complexes and 12 (7.64%) patients had non-specific ST segment changes while sinus bradycardia was documented in 09 (5.73%) patients, sinus tachycardia in 24 (15.28%) and atrial fibrillation in 06 (3.82%) patients. Echocardiographic evaluation showed that all the 157 (100%) patients had normal left ventricular ejection fraction, 05 (3.18%) had left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and only 04 (2.55%) developed pericardial effusion while neither of the patient had global hypokinesia or any new valvular lesions.