Thrombocytopenia in Dengue Fever and Its Correlation with Serum Vitamin B12 Level

Abstract

Background: The most prevalent and significant arboviral disease affecting humans is dengue. It is spread by the Aedes genus of mosquitoes, which are common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Thrombocytopenia occurs commonly among patients suffering from dengue fever, making them more prone to hemorrhagic complications. The predisposing factors leading to thrombocytopenia and bleeding manifestations after dengue infection are not well-known Objective: We attempted to determine the frequency of thrombocytopenia and its co-relation with serum vitamin B12 levels among dengue patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study after taking approval from the hospital ethical committee was carried out at the Department of Medicine PNS Rahat Hospital from June, 2022 to November, 2022. A total of 145 diagnosed patients suffering from dengue fever fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Patients with concomitant sepsis, malignancy, autoimmune disorder, hematological disorder, and drugs causing thrombocytopenia were not included in the study. Precise history and biodata were entered in the Pro forma. Patients were investigated for CBC, VIT B12 LEVEL, and other routine investigations. SPSS version 27 was used for data analysis. P-value≤0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Out of a total of 145 patients, 78 (53.8%) were males and 64 (46.2%) were females With a mean age of 38.22±15.93 years.139 patients (95%) had thrombocytopenia. we found a significant positive correlation of thrombocytopenia with Vitamin B12 deficiency (r=0.731, p<0.001). Conclusion: Dengue fever patients with thrombocytopenia were found to have vitamin B12 deficiency. Thrombocytopenic patients may require more platelet transfusion and longer hospitalizations.

Keywords

• dengue fever
• thrombocytopenia
• vitamin b12
• hemorrhagic complications