Clinicopathological Parameters Affecting Hospital Stay in Dengue Fever

Authors

Hameer Saif Talpur Department of Medicine, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4374-9114
Ali Sufyan Department of Medicine, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3602-9142
Ahmed Farhan Department of Medicine, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5068-9369
Maria Zafar Department of Medicine, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4216-6343
Muhammad Safeer Department of Medicine, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6578-5457
Jawad Shafqat Department of Medicine, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9455-0995

Objective: To identify clinical and laboratory parameters that can predict prolonged hospital stay and potentially severe disease in dengue patients, allowing for early triaging and appropriate resource allocation during epidemics when healthcare facilities in developing countries are often overburdened.
Methodology: This study was conducted at a Teaching hospital of Islamabad during the epidemic of Dengue fever 2023. After prior ethical approval, hospitalized dengue patients’ demographic details, clinicopathological parameters and hospital stay were followed till patients were discharged. Data were analysed for association with hospital stay.
Results: A total of 182 hospitalized dengue patients were included in the study. Patients who developed a mean arterial pressure of <65 mmHg, pulse pressure of ≤ 20 mmHg, ALT ≥ 5 times upper limit of normal or advanced age were found to have a longer hospital stay. Patients who were vaccinated for COVID-19 were less likely to have a longer hospital stay; however, this association was close but not significant.
Conclusions: Advanced aged or those who developed hypotension, narrow pulse pressure or hepatic derangement need to be aggressively monitored in Dengue hospitalized patients as they are more likely to have to longer hospital stay.
Keywords: Alanine Transaminase, COVID-19, Dengue, Length of Stay, Severe Dengue.