A Study of D-Dimer Levels in Acute Febrile Non Covid Conditions in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Acute undifferentiated febrile illness (AUFI) is caused by a multitude of diverse pathogens, with significant morbidity and mortality in the developing world. This study aims to highlight the gaps in our understanding of  the various differential diagnosis of acute febrile illness  and their prognostic outcomes. In this study, We used d-dimer levels to arrive at a differential diagnosis in acute febrile illness and also used it as a biomarker of disease severity and prognostic outcome. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted at medicine department, Saveetha  medical college and hospital, Thandalam, India  for a period of 3 months from January 2020 - March 2020. Patients who presented to the medicine outpatient department with symptoms of acute febrile illness with non specific symptoms were registered after getting written consent in the study. The plasma concentration of D -dimer levels ,prothrombin time , APTT from which INR were measured. The duration of hospital stay of patients in study was recorded. The data collected was entered into an excel sheet and analysed using SPCC software. Results: A total of 50  patients with acute febrile illness were enrolled in the study. Out of which 37 patients (74./. of patients)  were found to have elevated D dimer levels. These 37 patients with elevated D – dimer levels required longer duration of hospital stay, reflecting the need for more days for recovery.