Clinico-Epidemiological Profile of Dengue in Children of Age Group 0-14 Years Admitted in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background Dengue has emerged as the most common arboviral infection in India and worldwide. Dengue presents with a varied clinical spectrum in different age groups. The changing epidemiology and presentation are a challenge for early diagnosis and management. This prospective observational study aimed to determine the epidemiological profile of hospitalized dengue-positive children aged 0-14 years and correlate their clinical and hematological profiles. Methodology One hundred and five children with laboratory-confirmed dengue were enrolled in this study over a six-month study period. They were categorized into severe and non-severe dengue according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. Detailed clinical examination and laboratory investigations, including complete blood count, liver enzymes, coagulation profile, and imaging (chest X-ray and abdominal ultrasound), were performed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis. Results Out of the total 105 cases, 90 children (85.7%) had non-severe dengue and only 15 (14.3%) had severe dengue. The mean age of children was 92.02 months, with a male predominance (72, 68.6%). The most commonly identified symptoms were fever (105, 100%), vomiting (47, 44.76%), and abdominal pain (46, 43.81%). It was found that although thrombocytopenia was seen in 79 children (75.2%), it was not significantly associated with the severity of the disease (P = 0.2364). The study found a high recovery rate (101, 96.3%) with a mortality of 3 patients (2.8%) in severe cases. Elevated serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) levels (P = 0.0025), pleural effusion on chest X-ray (P = 0.000452), abdominal pain (P = 0.0041), and a positive tourniquet test (P < 0.0001) were found to be significantly associated with severe dengue. Non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies were both found to be positive more frequently in severe cases compared to non-severe cases (P = 0.0361). Conclusions This study observed a high rate of recovery and low mortality, owing to the timely management. A possible shift in the seasonal distribution of dengue was observed, with many cases occurring in the winter season. While thrombocytopenia was prevalent, it was not found to be significantly associated with disease severity or bleeding. On the other hand, elevated liver enzymes, pleural effusion, abdominal pain, and a positive tourniquet test were found to be more strongly associated with severe dengue. They may serve as valuable early clinical indicators for the severity of the disease.