Platelet transfusion in a dengue epidemic as per recent WHO classification

Background: The objective was to study the role of platelet transfusion in a dengue epidemic as management to the reduced platelet count and associated hemorrhagic manifestations. Methods: The study was conducted for a period of four months over 3115 cases of clinically and serologically positive cases of dengue for non-structural protein antigen (NS 1). Results: The patients diagnosed as dengue fever without warning signs constituted the maximum number of cases 2418 (77.6%) followed by dengue fever with warning signs 667 (21.4%), severe dengue 30 (1.0%). In serologically confirmed cases, only 154 patients had platelet count < 10000/cumm. The prevalence of bleeding was reported in 667 cases and platelet was transfused in only 724 cases constituting 508 cases of dengue with warning signs and 30 cases of severe dengue. Conclusion: Prophylactic platelet transfusion can be done in thrombocytopenic patients with platelet count less than 10000/cumm and associated hemorrhagic manifestations with count more the above label.