title: [Clinical and epidemiological characterisation of dengue haemorrhagic fever in Neiva, Colombia, 2004].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neiva (a southern Colombia city) is endemic for dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever. Neiva has suffered outbreaks of dengue, that in 2004 being the latest one. This study was designed to characterise epidemiological and clinical data from that outbreak of dengue.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive, retrospective study of children aged less than 13 years who were admitted to the University Hospital and fulfilled the WHO's clinical and laboratory criteria for dengue or dengue haemorrhagic fever. Demographic, clinical and paraclinical data were recorded and analysed using Chi square (chi(2)) bivariate tabular test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  105 children were diagnosed as suffering from either dengue haemorrhagic fever (87.6%) or dengue fever (12.4%); 67% of them were aged less than 5 years. Girls were more frequently affected by severe clinical manifestations. 83% of the children were admitted during the first six days of the disease; dengue shock syndrome was diagnosed in 20% and 76% presented clinical complications (chi(2) 29.53, gl 6, p=0.0000). Aminotransferases were 3 to 5 times above normal levels. There was a statistical correlation between low platelet count (less than 20 000 per mm(3)) and shock during admission (chi(2) 20.65, gl 4, p=0.0004). Complications arose during clinical evolution in 32% of the cases (13% myocarditis, 19% hepatitis or encephalitis and 2% sepsis).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical and epidemiological characteristics observed in this cohort evidenced differences in age, gender and organs affected compared to data described in the literature; there was a high incidence of myocarditis.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario de Neiva, Universidad Surcolombiana, Colombia.
authors.forename: Doris M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Salgado
authors.forename: Jairo A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Marisol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garzón
authors.forename: Gerson
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cifuentes
authors.forename: Milton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ibarra
authors.forename: Martha R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Dolly
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019595:Severe Dengue / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*