Vol. 11, Issue 3, Part A (2024)

Background: Dengue fever has rapidly emerged as the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease, with a 30-fold increase in global incidence over the past fifty years. This study aims to investigate the clinical, laboratory, and radiological features of dengue with a special focus on expanded dengue cases in a tertiary care center.

Methods: The study was conducted in the inpatient Department of General medicine, Saveetha medical college, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, including 150 patients aged 15 years and above with confirmed dengue infection. Data collection involved detailed history, clinical examination, and routine and special investigations. Dengue was screened using the Dengue NS1 Ag or IgM Ab tests. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 16 and R version 3.6.1, with a p-value < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results:

The study included 150 participants, predominantly males (64.7%), with the largest age group being 21-35 years (48%). Dengue Fever (DF) was the most common type (54%), followed by Expanded Dengue (ED) at 30%, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) at 12.7%, and Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) at 3.3%. Serological markers showed 37.33% positive for IgM antibodies, 36.66% for NS1 antigen, 24% for both NS1 and IgM, and 2% for both IgM and IgG. Fever was universal (100%), with other symptoms like retro-orbital pain (20%), muscle pain (17.3%), vomiting (23.3%), and bleeding manifestations (45.3%). Significant differences were noted in vomiting (p = 0.025) and bleeding manifestations (p = 0.005) among dengue classes.

Conclusion:

The study highlights the varied clinical, laboratory, and radiological profiles of dengue, especially expanded dengue cases. It underscores the importance of early diagnosis, comprehensive assessment, and a broader classification system for effective dengue management, contributing valuable insights to global dengue research.