Impact of Comorbid Conditions on Severity of Dengue Fever: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Objective: to identify the comorbid conditions associated with an increased risk of severe Dengue in clinically diagnosed patients with Dengue viral infections.

Study Design: Comparative cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Dengue ward, Department of Medicine, Combined Military Hospital Lahore, from Oct to Nov 2021.

Methodology: Three hundred patients with confirmed Dengue infection were enrolled in the study. These patients were divided into two groups: 150 patients with comorbids (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease) and 150 patients without comorbids. The impact of comorbid conditions on the severity of dengue fever was studied.

Results: Seventy-three out of the 300 patients had Dengue Fever without warning signs, while 79 out of the 300 patients had Severe Dengue Fever. Almost half of the patients (148) 300 had Dengue Fever with warning signs. The mean age of participants is 45.62±14.06 years. Patients with diabetes mellitus were more likely to develop Dengue without warning signs. Patients with hypertension were more likely to develop severe Dengue.

Conclusion: This study showed that comorbid conditions such as Diabetes and Hypertension are important risk factors for developing severe Dengue.