Scholarlink

Background <p>Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness and a major public health concern, with an estimated 100–400&#xa0;million infections occurring worldwide each year. While fever and musculoskeletal symptoms are well recognized, gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations such as nausea, abdominal pain, hepatitis, and pancreatitis are increasingly reported and may signal severe disease. In dengue-endemic countries like Pakistan, where seasonal outbreaks place a substantial burden on healthcare systems, recognizing these manifestations early is essential for timely management.</p> Methods <p>This hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, involving 245 consecutively admitted patients aged ≥ 13 years with laboratory-confirmed dengue infection. Dengue infection was confirmed by a positive NS1 antigen test and/or dengue-specific IgM antibody. Data on demographics, laboratory parameters (including platelet and white blood cell counts and liver function tests), gastrointestinal symptoms, and imaging findings were extracted from medical records. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, with statistical significance set at a <i>P</i>-value &lt; 0.05.</p> Results <p>The study population had a mean age ± SD of 34.9 ± 14.1 years, with a male predominance (70.2%). Gastrointestinal manifestations were observed in 88.2% of patients, with nausea/vomiting (73.1%) and abdominal pain (48.2%) being the most common. Imaging findings suggestive of plasma leakage, including gallbladder wall thickening (35.5%) and peritoneal free fluid (24.9%), were frequently noted. At the onset of GI symptoms, the mean platelet count was 60,270 cells/mm³, and the mean white blood cell count was 5,757 cells/mm³. An earlier and more pronounced decline in platelet and white blood cell counts was significantly associated with the development of pancreatitis (<i>p</i> = 0.002 and <i>p</i> = 0.003, respectively) and hepatitis (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001).</p> Conclusion <p>Gastrointestinal manifestations are common in dengue infection and are more frequently observed in severe disease, particularly dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Early declines in platelet and white blood cell counts are closely associated with the development of significant gastrointestinal complications. Integrating careful gastrointestinal assessment with routine hematological monitoring may aid early risk stratification and improve clinical management of dengue patients in endemic settings.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Dengue Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study at Holy Family Hospital

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月13日

查看全文
  • Muhammad Ibrahim,
  • Qurat Ul Ain Muhammad,
  • Hadia Eiman,
  • Sahaab Noor,
  • Haseeb Raza,
  • Ayesha Muhammad,
  • Zainab Shabir,
  • Abdur Rehman

摘要

Background

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness and a major public health concern, with an estimated 100–400 million infections occurring worldwide each year. While fever and musculoskeletal symptoms are well recognized, gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations such as nausea, abdominal pain, hepatitis, and pancreatitis are increasingly reported and may signal severe disease. In dengue-endemic countries like Pakistan, where seasonal outbreaks place a substantial burden on healthcare systems, recognizing these manifestations early is essential for timely management.

Methods

This hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, involving 245 consecutively admitted patients aged ≥ 13 years with laboratory-confirmed dengue infection. Dengue infection was confirmed by a positive NS1 antigen test and/or dengue-specific IgM antibody. Data on demographics, laboratory parameters (including platelet and white blood cell counts and liver function tests), gastrointestinal symptoms, and imaging findings were extracted from medical records. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, with statistical significance set at a P-value < 0.05.

Results

The study population had a mean age ± SD of 34.9 ± 14.1 years, with a male predominance (70.2%). Gastrointestinal manifestations were observed in 88.2% of patients, with nausea/vomiting (73.1%) and abdominal pain (48.2%) being the most common. Imaging findings suggestive of plasma leakage, including gallbladder wall thickening (35.5%) and peritoneal free fluid (24.9%), were frequently noted. At the onset of GI symptoms, the mean platelet count was 60,270 cells/mm³, and the mean white blood cell count was 5,757 cells/mm³. An earlier and more pronounced decline in platelet and white blood cell counts was significantly associated with the development of pancreatitis (p = 0.002 and p = 0.003, respectively) and hepatitis (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Gastrointestinal manifestations are common in dengue infection and are more frequently observed in severe disease, particularly dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Early declines in platelet and white blood cell counts are closely associated with the development of significant gastrointestinal complications. Integrating careful gastrointestinal assessment with routine hematological monitoring may aid early risk stratification and improve clinical management of dengue patients in endemic settings.