Regional Variation and Clinical Manifestations of Acute Dengue Infection Observed at A Tertiary Care Hospital of District Rawalpindi

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To assess the regional variation and clinical manifestations of acute dengue infection amongst the patients who presented to a tertiary care hospital of Rawalpindi. STUDY DESIGN: A Descriptive study PLACE AND DURATION: Study was carried out at Microbiology Department of Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi Medical College, Rawalpindi, from 1st August 2010 to 30th March 2011. METHODOLOGY: A simple random sampling technique was adopted for all the suspected cases of acute dengue, admitted in the dengue ward of Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi. Their blood samples were taken and analyzed by ELISA test for the detection of antidengue antibodies (IgM). RESULTS: A total of 30.2% (n=104) patients were diagnosed positive by ELISA test. The frequency of dengue fever (DF) in males was 68.2% (n=71) and in females it was 31.7% (n=33). The incidence of dengue fever was high in Rawalpindi (30.2%) and Chakwaal (30.1%). 0 The most common clinical manifestations were high grade continuous fever (>101 F) seen in 88.4% (n=92), followed by retro-orbital headache 65.3% (n=68), epigastric pain 65.3% (n=68), arthralgias 63.4% (n=66) and myalgias 50% (n=52). CONCLUSION: The incidence of Dengue fever is high in Rawalpindi and Chakwaal. The most common clinical manifestations of acute DF include high grade continuous fever along with retro-orbital headache, epigastric pain, myalgias and arthralgias.