Dengue Cases Presenting to the Emergency Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Late 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study in Karachi

Abstract

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Objectives: Dengue Fever (DF) is an arboviral disease caused by the Dengue virus (DENV). This study aims to assess the association of dengue prevalence with patients’ residential areas and hematological laboratory findings (Total platelet count, immunoglobulins, and dengue antigens) during COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the Emergency department of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi from October to December 2021. All the patients irrespective of their ages presenting to the ED with either of the following complaints: fever; GIT problems; vomiting; body ache; bleeding were included in our study.Results: Our study comprised 189 patients in total in which the females (n = 172) outnumbered the males (n = 17). Out of all, 84.7% of the patients were febrile having a low-grade fever on average. Korangi district had the most dengue cases, while Keamari had the fewest. There was no significant association reported between mean platelet count, mean TLC, and mean hemoglobin levels with dengue positivity.Conclusion: There is a concerning rise in DF cases in Karachi, particularly in the Korangi district. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, DF demands urgent attention.

Keywords

• dengue fever
• COVID-19
• emergency department
• tropical diseases
• Asia