Dengue fever in patients presenting with acute febrile illness and thrombocytopenia

Objective: To know the prevalence of dengue infection in patients presenting with acute febrile illness and thrombocytopenia and to know what features differentiate dengue disease from other acute febrile illnesses with thrombocytopenia. Methodology: This is a hospital based observational study carried out in the department of Medicine, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad from March 2015 to march 2017. A sample of 160 patients admitted in medical unit were selected randomly. Data were collected by using pre designed proforma and analyzed by SPSS version 16. Results: Out of 160 patients, 96(60%) were males while 92(57.5 percent) were from urban areas. Mean age was 36.05+-4.5 years (range 13-85). 134(83.8) had dengue fever, 8(5.00 percent) had malaria, 8(5.00 percent) had enteric fever and 10(6.25%) patients had other fever. Majority of the patients had similar clinical and laboratory features except arthralgias, myalgias, retro-orbital pain, petechial hemorrhages and leuckopenia, which were more common in dengue fever. Conclusion: Dengue is main illness among the patients presenting with acute febrile illness and thrombocytopenia and should be kept at the top in such patients, especially when they have myalgias, arthralgias, retro-orbital pain, petechial hemorrhages and leuckopenia. (author)