What is Dengue fever?

a viral infection that can progress to viral haemorrhagic fever

What are the main clinical features of Dengue fever?

• fever
• headache (often retro-orbital)
• myalgia, bone pain and arthralgia ('break-bone fever')
• pleuritic pain
• facial flushing (dengue)
• maculopapular rash
• haemorrhagic manifestations e.g. positive tourniquet test, petechiae, purpura/ecchymosis, epistaxis

What is the management of Dengue fever?

entirely symptomatic

What are the main causes of Dengue fever?

• a RNA virus of the genus Flavivirus
• transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito

What is the incubation period of Dengue fever?

7 days

What is Severe dengue?

form of disseminated intravascular coagulation

• thrombocytopenia
• spontaneous bleeding

What are the main complications of Dengue fever?

• dengue haemorrhagic fever
• dengue shock syndrome

What are the typical blood results seen in Dengue fever?

• leukopenia
• thrombocytopenia
• raised aminotransferases

What are the warning signs that a patient is developing severe dengue?

• abdominal pain
• hepatomegaly
• persistent vomiting
• clinical fluid accumulation (ascites, pleural effusion)