Prevalence of Hypoalbuminemia in Critical Dengue Patients of ICU in Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease endemic in many countries in the tropics and sub-tropics. The disease affects mainly children, but in recent years it has become more of an adult disease. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of hypoalbuminemia in critical dengue patients in the ICU. Methods and materials: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Tertiary Care Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh from June 2019 to June 2020. Purposively, a total of 100 serologically diagnosed dengue patients admitted to the ICU were included in this study. Data were collected in a preformed data collection sheet prospectively and a descriptive analysis was done in this study. Result: In this study, most patients (53%) were from the 25-30 years age group, with a male preponderance (67%) who mostly belonged to middle-class families (41%). All patients had a fever, followed by, abdominal pain (81%), respiratory distress (73%), mucosal bleeding (59%), and vomiting (39%). The prevalence of hypoalbuminemia was found 72% while thrombocytopenia was observed in 59% of the cases. Clinical signs revealed that most patients developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) (74%), followed by ascites (68%), pleural effusion (53%), and hepatomegaly (21%). Conclusion: Hypoalbuminemia, liver dysfunction, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and thrombocytopenia are common and critical features of dengue infection. Early diagnosis and intervention are vital in preventing complications and fatalities.