Prevalence, patterns, and factors associated with bleeding tendencies in dengue

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Hematology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Dengue fever is a significant public health concern.
• The relationship between bleeding tendencies, platelet counts, and other factors in dengue requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the pattern of bleeding in dengue patients.
• To identify factors associated with bleeding complications in dengue.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 638 adult dengue patients with platelet counts < 100,000/mm(3).
• Patients were categorized into severe (< 50,000/mm(3)) and moderate (50,000-100,000/mm(3)) thrombocytopenia groups.
• Analysis of factors associated with bleeding, including platelet count, anti-platelet drug intake, international normalized ratio (INR), and partial thromboplastin time (PTT).

Main Results:

• A 24.1% prevalence of bleeding tendencies was observed.
• Bleeding was associated with platelet counts < 70,000/mm(3), prior anti-platelet drug intake, INR > 2.0, and PTT > 60 seconds.
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy effectively identified gastroduodenal lesions in cases of hematemesis or melena.

Conclusions:

• Bleeding complications in dengue can manifest at platelet counts as high as 70,000/mm(3).
• Pre-existing anti-platelet drug use is a critical risk factor for increased bleeding.
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool for gastrointestinal bleeding in dengue.