FREQUENCY OF THROMBOCYTOPENIA IN CHILDREN PRESENTED WITH DENGUE FEVER

Abstract

Introduction: Dengue fever, classified by the World Health Organization as a major viral disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, has seen a significant rise in global incidence over recent decades. Currently, nearly half of the world's population is at risk of infection.

Objective: This study aims to determine the frequency of thrombocytopenia among pediatric patients diagnosed with dengue fever.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. The study involved 114 children, selected through non-probability consecutive sampling.

Results: The cohort comprised 52 males (45.61%) and 62 females (54.38%), with a mean age of 9.17 years (SD = 2.86). The average duration of symptoms was 4.25 days (SD = 2.566), and the mean weight was 29.90 kg (SD = 9.327). A family history of thrombocytopenia was noted in 4 patients (3.57%), while thrombocytopenia was detected in 87 patients (76.31%). The analysis revealed no significant association between thrombocytopenia and age, gender, duration of symptoms, weight, or family history.

Conclusion: Thrombocytopenia is highly prevalent among children with dengue fever, irrespective of age, gender, weight, symptom duration, or familial predisposition. Future research should focus on multicenter, randomized controlled trials to explore the influence of these variables on thrombocytopenia in dengue.