D-dimer a Clue for Severe Dengue / Dengue Shock Syndrome, An Observational Study

Background: Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral infection, poses a significant public health threat, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Caused by five serotypes of the dengue virus (DENV-1 to DENV-5), it affects an estimated 400 million people annually, leading to severe illness in around 96 million [1]. Dengue's clinical spectrum ranges from asymptomatic infection to mild febrile illness with flu-like symptoms, to severe dengue (SD) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), characterized by plasma leakage, thrombocytopenia, and organ dysfunction [2]. Objective: To evaluate the correlation and diagnostic accuracy of D-dimer in differentiating severe dengue and dengue shock syndrome (SD/DSS) from mild dengue. Method: This is an observational study carried in BKL Walawalkar medical college for a period of 6 months. 125 patients were enrolled in the study which were diagnosed as Dengue positive (NS1, IG-G, IG-M) after taking their informed consent. Dimer, platelet creatinine, SGOT SGPT levels were monitored. Conclusion: The present study provides strong evidence for a link between D-dimer levels and the severity of dengue infection and it also address the correlation of low platelet count and high D dimer levels. This suggests that D-dimer could be a valuable marker for assessing dengue severity.