Partial Thromboplastin Time and Prothrombin Time as Predictors for Impaired Coagulation among Patients with Dengue Virus Infection in Red Sea State of Sudan

Abstract

Background Impaired hemostasis, especially coagulopathy contribute to bleeding manifestations in dengue fever. Parameters such as partial thromboplastin time (PTT) and prothrombin time (PT) indicate the impact of dengue on coagulation system. Objective To identify the impact of dengue infection on the PT and PTT coagulation tests Method A prospective study was conducted which included 334 cases of dengue caused by dengue virus along with 101 cases of control. Patients who were reported for clinically dengue infection were enrolled. Laboratory-positive dengue cases were confirmed by immune chromatography and WHO criteria were used for classifying the dengue severity. Plasma PT and PTT were performed. Results There was a highly significant difference between the prolongations of PT and PTT in DF (P.value 0.000). Prolongations of PT and PTT were significantly higher in dengue fever (DF) 90% and 76.2% than dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) 10% and 23.8% patients respectively. The sensitivity of PT and PTT in predicting DF was 90% and 76% respectively. Conclusion PT and PTT parameters may be used to develop a future scoring system to predict and manage dengue infection severity early in the course of the illness.