A Study on the Clinical Profile of Patients Presenting With Dengue Fever and the Precision Prediction of Dengue Severity Using Platelet Count at Presentation

Background The most prevalent arbovirus infection in the world, dengue, has become a serious public health issue. This study aims to examine the clinical characteristics of individuals who present with dengue fever and use platelet count prediction to estimate the severity of dengue. Materials and methods This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India, from February 2022 to May 2024. A total of 100 patients older than 12 years old who had dengue fever (presenting within three days of the first symptom) and were dengue NS1 antigen-positive in the laboratory were included. Patients under 12 years of age and pregnant women were excluded. Also excluded were patients with a history of prior dengue infection and patients on medications causing thrombocytopenia, such as antiplatelets (aspirin). Written informed consent was obtained from each patient. For adolescent boys and girls aged 13-18, consent was obtained from a parent or legal guardian along with the adolescent's assent. Data were collected through physical examinations and laboratory investigations. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20 (Released 2011; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York), with descriptive statistics and tests for nonparametric data, setting the significance at p<0.05. Results The average age of the study participants was 29.48 ± 10.62 years, with 24% in the 0-20 year age group, 36% in the 21-30 age group, 24% in the 31-40 age group, 12% in the 41-50 age group, 3% in the 51-60 age group, and 1% in the 61-70 age group. Men comprised 65% of the population, with 35% being women. Weakness was the most prevalent symptom, followed by nausea and fever with chills. Patients with dengue fever without warning indications had a median platelet count of 114,000/µL upon admission; those with dengue fever with warning signs had a median count of 35,500/µL; and those with severe dengue had a median count of 25,000/µL. These distinctions attained statistical significance, underscored by p-values of <0.001. The predictive model for severe dengue using platelet count on presentation demonstrated a robust capacity to anticipate severe dengue with a noteworthy association (p<0.04), indicating an increased risk of severe dengue with a lower platelet count (<25,000/µL, odds ratio (OR) 7.5). Conclusion Dengue was more common in the young population, with a predominance of male patients. Weakness was the most common symptom. Patients with a platelet count less than 25,000/µL had 7.5 times more odds of developing severe dengue.