title: Haemorrhagic manifestations and utility of haematological parameters in dengue fever: a tertiary care centre experience at Karachi.
abstract: A retrospective observational study of dengue fever was performed, including 210 patients (male:female ratio 1.6:1, ages 6-74 y, mean 29.7 y) attending the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from January 2001 to December 2006. All included patients proved dengue IgM antibody positive. Of these, 19 (9%) showed increased haemoglobin/haematocrit levels on admission which remained elevated in 4 (2.1%) at the time of discharge. 56 patients (26.6%) had leucopenia and neutropenia and 77.1% (161) had thrombocytopenia at the time of admission; 2.5% (5) and 16.7% (35) had deranged PT and APTT, respectively. Atypical lymphocytes were seen in 109 patients (52%). Platelet transfusion was given in 45 (22.1%) cases. The majority of patients were discharged without any adverse sequelae. The fatality rate was 3.3% (n=7) and these patients died of dengue shock syndrome, while 196 (93.3%) recovered completely. Haematological parameters are an important clue and should be tested when a patient presents with symptoms suggestive of dengue fever.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Section Hematology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. natasha.ali@aku.edu
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Usman
authors.forename: Naveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khurshid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003715:Dengue / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies