Abstract
The clinical presentations of dengue fever range from mild viral fever to life-threatening
manifestations that may be typical or atypical. With the World Health Organization
recommending new guidelines for the diagnosis of dengue, it becomes necessary to document
clinical spectrum for classification and setting priorities. Therefore, a study was
undertaken to document clinical and biochemical profile and outcome in dengue-positive
pediatric patients. Records were retrieved from August to November 2015 in a tertiary
care hospital in Delhi. Out of 188 dengue-positive patients enrolled, 61.1% were males.
Mortality rate was 1%. Apart from the classic triad of fever, vomiting and abdominal
pain, there were some atypical presentations, including febrile seizure (5.8%) and
acute respiratory distress syndrome (3%). Myalgia was rare in the severe form of the
disease. On laboratory investigation, anemia (75%) and thrombocytopenia (73%) were
most common findings. Platelet counts were significantly lower in severe dengue than
in other types.
Keywords
children - dengue - epidemic
