Clinical profile of dengue infection at a teaching hospital in North India

Introduction: Dengue viral infections are among the most important mosquito-borne diseases of the Indian subcontinent and have become a major global public health concern. Spread of disease has led to increased recognition of atypical manifestations apart from the classical clinical features of dengue infection. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of admitted patients suspected to have dengue infection was conducted during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in the year 2010. Patients who had serological confirmation of dengue infection were classified according to World Health Organization definitions of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. Clinical and biochemical parameters were compared between the two groups. Results: Out of 356 patients with suspected dengue fever enrolled in the study, 138 (39%) had serologically confirmed dengue infection. Eighty (58%) patients were males and 58 (42%) were females. Ninety-six (70%) patients had classical dengue fever while 42 (30%) had dengue hemorrhagic fever. The most common symptoms were headache (105, 76%), abdominal pain (87, 63%), vomiting (80, 58%), rash (36, 26%), and cutaneous hypersensitivity (22, 16%). Hemorrhagic manifestations were present in 55 (40%) patients. Atypical manifestations were recorded. Notably, 14% of patients had neurological involvement and 4% had acute hepatic failure. Overall mortality was 6% and all fatal cases were due to multi-organ failure. Conclusion: Dengue infection poses a huge burden to the health-care system; its spectrum ranges from mild self-limiting illness to severe fatal disease. It can have varied and multi-systemic manifestations which can go unrecognized. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for atypical manifestations.