title: Clinical Features Of Acute Febrile Thrombocytopaenia Among Patients Attending Primary Care Clinics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Identifying clinical features that differentiate acute febrile thrombocytopaenia from acute febrile illness without thrombocytopaenia can help primary care physician to decide whether to order a full blood count (FBC). This is important because thrombocytopaenia in viral fever may signify more serious underlying aetiology like dengue infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the clinical features of acute febrile patients with thrombocytopaenia and acute febrile patients without thrombocytopaenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a clinic-based cross-sectional study from May to November 2003. Consecutive patients presenting with undifferentiated fever of less than two weeks were selected from the Primary Care Centre of Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Batu 9 Cheras Health Clinic. Clinical features of these patients were recorded and FBC examination was done for all patients. Thrombocytopaenia was defined as platelet count <150X10(9)/L. The odds ratio of thrombocytopaenia for each presenting symptoms was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-three patients participated in this study. Among them, 45.2% had thrombocytopaenia. Myalgia and headache were common among all patients. However, nausea and vomiting occurred significantly more often among patients with thrombocytopaenia than in patients with normal platelet count (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute non-specific febrile patients presenting with symptoms of nausea and vomiting may have higher risk of thrombocytopaenia and should be seriously considered for FBC.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  viral infection, dengue, clinical features, thrombocytopaenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
authors.forename: Tong Seng
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Fah
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
authors.forename: Noorazah Abdul Aziz
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: MMed
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
authors.forename: Chin Gek
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Liew
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
authors.forename: Khairani
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Omar