Tri-phasic fever in dengue fever

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Dengue fever is a significant global health concern, presenting as an acute febrile illness.
• Early and accurate diagnosis of dengue fever is crucial for effective patient management and preventing complications.
• Distinguishing dengue fever from other febrile illnesses based solely on clinical presentation can be challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the 24-hour continuous tympanic temperature patterns in patients with dengue fever.
• To compare these temperature patterns with those of patients experiencing fever from non-dengue etiologies.
• To assess the utility of continuous temperature monitoring in differentiating dengue fever.

Main Methods:

• An observational study was conducted involving 15 patients diagnosed with dengue fever.
• Continuous 24-hour tympanic temperature monitoring was performed on dengue fever patients.
• Temperature patterns were compared between dengue fever patients and a control group of 26 patients with non-dengue fever.

Main Results:

• A tri-phasic fever pattern was observed in approximately two-thirds of dengue fever patients.
• This tri-phasic pattern was rarely seen in patients with non-dengue fever, with only one case in an inflammatory condition.
• One-third of dengue fever patients presented with a single peak temperature pattern.
• Continuous temperature monitoring revealed distinct patterns differentiating dengue fever.

Conclusions:

• Continuous temperature monitoring and analysis of fever patterns can aid in the early differentiation of dengue fever.
• The tri-phasic fever pattern is a potential indicator for identifying dengue fever.
• This method offers a valuable tool for clinicians in distinguishing dengue fever from other febrile conditions, improving diagnostic accuracy.