Rising trend of cases of dengue fever admitted in a tertiary care hospital in Vadodara – A retrospective study

Background & objectiveDengue has become a serious public threat globally. Increasing number of cases are seen during the monsoon season. The incidence is increasing each year. We undertook this study to document the rise in cases during 2013 and to study the clinical spectrum of patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital.Material and methodsIt was a retrospective study of cases admitted from July to December 2013. The clinical profile, complications and outcome of the patients was studied. The number of cases were compared with all the admitted as well as fever patients of 2013 and with cases of the previous two consecutive years.ResultsOut of 63 patients, 30 (47.6%) belonged to the age group of 13–23 years, predominantly males (84%) and from urban areas. The presenting symptoms included, fever (100%), myalgia (61.9%) vomiting (49.2%), abdominal pain, nausea and headache. Sixty patients (95.2%) had non-severe dengue while 3 (4.8%) had dengue haemorrhagic fever.Seven patients (11%) had complications in the form of ascites, pleural effusion and bleeding.DiscussionOur study confirms the seasonal occurrence of the cases. It is also in accordance with the other studies as regards the overall clinical spectrum. Most of our patients were from the urban areas which is not comparable with other studies. Comparison with the previous 2 years as well as with the total admitted and fever cases revealed a statistically significant (p value < 0.0001) rise in the number of cases during 2013. The clinical profile showed mostly uncomplicated cases with good prognosis, who responded well to early treatment with hydration and supportive therapy.ConclusionDocumentation of a rise in the number of cases will have a major impact on recognizing the burden of the disease and in formulating a plan for containment of cases in the community.