Clinical and laboratory profile of dengue fever cases in children less than 12 years in a tertiary care centre in rural Kerala

Objective: To study the clinical features and laboratory parameters of dengue fever cases in children, to classify the cases based on WHO 2012 guidelines and to assess the outcome of these cases. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study of 193 children less than 12 years diagnosed with dengue fever based on clinical and lab findings and confirmed by serological tests admitted in our institution between May to October 2017. Results: The maximum number of cases were in the age group 6-12 years. The male: female ratio was 1.19:1. Percentage of severe dengue, dengue with warning signs and dengue without warning signs were 12.4%, 18.1% and 69.4% respectively. 68.5% had a total WBC count below 3999. 36.2% had a platelet count below 100000. The most common presenting symptom was fever with myalgia (68%). Conclusion: Application of revised WHO classification helps in better stratification and management of patients admitted with dengue fever.