Risk factors of mortality among dengue patients admitted to a tertiary care setting in Kerala, India

Dengue is one of the most serious and rapidly emerging tropical mosquito-borne diseases. The state of Kerala in India is hyperendemic for the disease and is one of the leading states in the reporting of deaths due to dengue. As primary prevention of dengue has had limited success, the prevention of mortality through the identification of risk factors and efficient patient management is of utmost importance. Hence, a record-based case control study was conducted in the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram to identify the risk factors of mortality in patients admitted with dengue. Dengue patients over 40 years of age were 9.3 times (95% CI; 1.9–44.4) more likely to die compared with younger patients. The clinical features associated with mortality from dengue were altered sensorium (odds ratio (OR) – 156, 95% CI; 12.575–1935.197), abnormal reflexes (OR – 8.5, 95% CI; 1.833–39.421) and edema (OR – 13.22, 95% CI; 2.651–65.951). Mortality was also higher in those patients with co-morbidities such as diabetes mellitus (OR – 26, 95% CI; 2.47–273.674) and hypertension (OR – 44, 95% CI; 6.23–315.499). The independent predictors of mortality were altered sensorium and hypertension. Dengue fever patients with these clinical features and those who are elderly should be more rigorously monitored and promptly referred from lower settings when required to reduce mortality.