Observational study of using lactate dehydrogenase as prognostic marker in dengue patients

Dengue is one of the common mosquito borne illnesses in south India and it is nearly endemic in these coastal states. In view of high incidence during monsoon season with substantial mortality, the department of Internal Medicine performed a study where serum Lactate dehydrogenase levels were used as biomarker to predict severity of dengue infection to avoid complications and mortality.

The study was an unicentric, open labelled, observational prospective study conducted in a tertiary care hospital of the coastal region. All the patients who were serologically tested with Dengue positive status during June 2022 to December 2022 were included in the study.

The correlation between lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels at the time of presentation and severity of disease is linear in nature with Pearson's coefficient of correlation (R) 0.778. The linear correlation was statistically significant with P value < 0.01. The correlation between LDH levels at the time of presentation and platelet count at time of admission was inversely proportional with Pearson's coefficient of correlation (R) - 0.326.

The main finding of the study is that LDH levels at the time of diagnosis in dengue patients can predict complications during course of illness.