title: Differences in clinical and laboratory characteristics and disease severity between children and adults with dengue virus infection in Taiwan, 2002.
abstract: To compare the clinical and laboratory characteristics and disease severity between adults and children with dengue in Taiwan in 2002, we retrospectively studied 661 serologically confirmed dengue-infected patients (606 adults and 55 children) admitted between June and December 2002 to a single medical centre. The medical charts of the patients were reviewed for demographic, clinical, laboratory and imaging information. Compared with children, adult patients were found to have: higher incidences of arthralgia (P<0.001), myalgia (P=0.002), headache (P=0.028), abdominal pain (P=0.004) and upper gastrointestinal bleeding (P=0.013); lower platelet counts (P<0.001), prothrombin time (P=0.030) and serum albumin levels (P=0.037); a higher incidence of elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (P=0.001); and a higher prevalence of dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) (14.4% vs. 3.6%; P=0.026). The current data showed differences in clinical manifestations and laboratory characteristics between children and adults with dengue virus infection. Notably, a higher incidence of DHF was observed in adult patients compared with children in the 2002 dengue epidemic in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Niaosung Shiang, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin-Chou
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ing-Kit
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mao-Chang
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Hung-I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yi-Chuan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shih-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chao-Chien
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Meng-Chih
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003715:Dengue / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011000:Pleurodynia, Epidemic / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D019595:Severe Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult