Dengue haemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome are significant causes of pediatric hospital admissions and mortality.
• Effective supportive care is crucial for managing severe dengue cases in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the effects of various supportive treatments for dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome in children.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of specific interventions used in pediatric severe dengue management.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of medical literature including Medline, Embase, and The Cochrane Library up to March 2014.
• Inclusion of nine studies meeting predefined criteria for pediatric dengue supportive care.
• GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for assessed interventions.

Main Results:

• Nine studies were included in the systematic review.
• GRADE methodology was used to assess the quality of evidence for interventions.
• Information on effectiveness and safety of specific treatments was compiled.

Conclusions:

• The review synthesizes evidence on blood component transfusion, corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and fluid resuscitation (crystalloids vs. colloids) for severe dengue in children.
• Findings provide insights into the effectiveness and safety profiles of these supportive measures.
• This systematic review aids in clinical decision-making for managing pediatric dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.