Autopsy findings in fatal dengue haemorrhagic fever – 06 Cases

BackgroundDuring recent outbreak of dengue fever in Delhi, there has been a significant increase in dengue-associated admission in hospitals. To better understand the pathology of dengue haemorrhagic fever, we conducted autopsies of dengue infections deaths within our hospital.MethodThis was an autopsy study of dengue-associated deaths at a large tertiary care hospital.ResultsFrom Sep 2009 to Dec 2010, a total of 1032 patients with serological evidence of dengue infection were admitted to our hospital. There were twelve deaths and autopsies were conducted in six. Adult respiratory distress syndrome, bleeding diathesis, hypotension, hepatic failure and acute renal failure were the common causes of death despite early hospitalization, intravenous fluid, and blood-product support.ConclusionDengue is associated with severe disease, and deaths do occur despite current supportive management. Early predictors of disease severity and better clinical interventions are needed.