Muhammad Arif Nadeem Saqib, Ibrar Rafique, Arsalan Ahmad Salam, Saira Bashir.
Persistence of dengue symptoms among discharged dengue cases of Lahore, Pakistan.
Pak J Med Res Jan ;53(4):93-5.

Background: The signs and symptoms of acute dengue infection are well defined and characterized. However, little data is available about the persistence of these symptoms which depends upon the disease management and patient care. This study was conducted to determine the persistence of dengue symptoms in admitted cases who were discharged from hospital. Materials and Methods: Data of dengue cases who were admitted in 2 public sector hospitals was retrieved along with their complete addresses. Patients were approached and interviewed after getting the written informed consent. A pre-designed questionnaire was used to collect information about the persistence of dengue symptoms in the patients after they were discharged from hospital. Results: Of 41 cases interviewed, 31 were males and overall mean age was 31 years. The case record showed that 15 cases had dengue shock syndrome, 14 dengue hemorrhagic fever and 12 dengue fever. The average period of illness after getting discharged was 19 days which was significantly higher in females (23 days) as compared to males (18 days). Majority of the cases (except 04) reported persistence of dengue symptoms in which joint pain (29 cases), itching (17 cases) and exhaustion (14 cases) were more common. The persistence of joint pain after discharge was significantly associated with dengue shock syndrome. Conclusion: The current study showed significant association between joint pain and DSS which could be overcome through proper case management. Furthermore there is a need to follow admitted dengue cases after getting discharged from the hospital to avoid any complications.

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