Hematological Parameters and Its Utility in Dengue Fever: A Prospective Study

Background Dengue is a major preventable and treatable cause of morbidity and mortality among children and adults that occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. Early diagnosis of dengue is important for provision of special care which ensures marked reduction in the morbidity. Hematological examination is an essential step in the management of these patients. Hence this study was undertaken to document the hematological changes in dengue fever. Aims and Objectives To co-relate the hematological data during the evolution of dengue fever and to predict the severity of the disease. Methods The prospective study of 260 cases of positive dengue cases and its hematological profile was conducted over a period of four months between July 2014 to October 2014 at Department of Pathology, Shri Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital, Silvassa. Results In this study, total 260 dengue NS1 antigen ELISA positive patients were analyzed. The most common hematological abnormality was thrombocytopenia (68.46 %) followed by leucopenia (56.92 %), atypical lymphocytes (52.30 %) and lymphocytosis (49.23 %). Conclusion Awareness, early recognition & early diagnosis are important for favorable outcome. Hematological parameters are very helpful for disease monitoring and can be helpful in prediction of prognosis. Early and prompt diagnosis of symptom with complete hemogram and dengue test can save a life.