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Effect of dexamethasone therapy in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Giresun: An analytical study
Sinan Çetin1, Ahmet Melih Şahin, Emrullah Ataş
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Giresun University, Giresun, Turkey.
Insights
Dexamethasone treatment did not significantly improve clinical outcomes for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) patients. This retrospective study found no notable differences in bleeding, transfusions, or mortality between treated and untreated groups.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
- Public Health
Background:
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a serious zoonotic disease prevalent in endemic areas.
- CCHF poses a significant global health challenge, necessitating effective treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of dexamethasone in improving clinical outcomes for CCHF patients.
- To evaluate the impact of dexamethasone on key clinical indicators in CCHF management.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analytical study involving adult CCHF patients with low platelet counts.
- Comparison of clinical outcomes between CCHF patients who received dexamethasone and those who did not.
Main Results:
- Dexamethasone was administered to 41.8% of the 55 CCHF patients.
- No significant differences were observed in bleeding, blood product transfusion needs, thrombocyte recovery, ICU admission, or mortality between groups.
- In-hospital mortality rate was 3.6%.
Conclusions:
- Dexamethasone treatment did not demonstrate a significant benefit in improving clinical outcomes for CCHF patients.
- Further research may be needed to explore alternative or adjunctive therapies for CCHF.
Background Objectives:
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a zoonotic disease and significant health concern particularly in endemic regions. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy in dexamethasone treatment on clinical outcomes in CCHF patients.
Methods:
We included adult patients diagnosed with CCHF and those whose platelet count dropped to 70,000/mm 3 or lower. The efficacy of dexamethasone on clinical outcomes was evaluated. It was a retrospective analytical study.
Results:
All 55 patients received standard supportive treatment, and none of them received ribavirin therapy. It was observed that 23 (41.8%) patients were treated with dexamethasone. No significant differences were observed between patients treated with dexamethasone and without, regarding factors such as bleeding incidents during hospitalization, the need for blood product transfusions, thrombocyte recovery status, intensive care unit admission, and in-hospital mortality. In-hospital mortality was observed in two patients (3.6%).
Interpretation Conclusion:
Our study found that dexamethasone treatment did not lead to a significant improvement in the clinical outcomes for CCHF patients.
