Complications of Dengue Infection in Admitted Patients at Rehman Medical Institute: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Dengue infection is an arthropod-borne Flavivirus infection that spread through female mosquitoes (Genus Aedes). Dengue infection is a major health challenge in the tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted at Rehman Medical Institute (RMI).  Data were retrieved from the Clinical test reports of confirmed dengue infection during the timeline; June to October (monsoon season) of the year 2021. Clinical as well as biochemical parameters were considered during the data assembling and assessment process. Results: Out of 156 suspected cases of dengue infection, 94 were confirmed through laboratory testing. 83 patients tested positive with Dengue NS1 antigen while after re-screening 94 cases (54 male patients and 40 female patients) were confirmed by Dengue serology (IgM antibodies) test. According to our study results, among a set of varied symptoms, malaise (99%) was the most common clinical presentation, along with 94% fever. Some patients with severe dengue infection developed serious illnesses including encephalopathy (8.5%), hypokalemic paralysis (6.3%). Moreover, 8.5% of patients were presented with Cholecystitis seen as Edematous Gallbladder wall on ultrasound scans, and 1% of the patient developed acute Pancreatitis. Fortunately, no casualty was reported due to dengue at RMI-General hospital. Conclusion: In our setup, Fortunately, no death was reported but a substantial number of patients suffered from serious complications such as neurological and hemorrhagic conditions along with communal clinical manifestations. Despite much reported data still, further investigation and monitoring are needed to comprehend the contemporary condition of the prevalence of dengue infection in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.