Introduction: Dengue fever is one of the commonest arthropod-borne viral infections in tropical and subtropical countries. The virus is usually transmitted by the bite of female Adese Aegypti mosquito (day biting) and outbreak occurs during rainy seasons. Other dengue virus vector is Adese Albopictus. After the bite of mosquito, virus infect immature dendritic cells of skin through non-specific receptors. The dendritic cells migrate to lymph node and present viral antigens to T cells, this leads to activation of humoral and cellular immune response. Dengue begins after an incubation period of 4-7 days. There are four clinical syndromes: 1) Undifferentiated fever 2) Classical Dengue fever 3) Dengue haemorrhagic fever 4) Dengue shock syndrome. Therefore, early and rapid diagnosis is very important for patient management.
Objectives: To emphasize the importance of complete blood count and peripheral smears’ findings in suspected dengue patients to make early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
Methods: Cross sectional observational study was carried and study included patients presenting with chief complaints of fever, headache and joint pain at the time of admission. Complete blood count and peripheral smear examination was done on each patient’s venous sample collected in EDTA vacutainer. After analysing the sample with clinical correlation, samples showing leucopenia with relative lymphocytosis, thrombocytopenia and presence of reactive lymphocytes on smear were sorted out. Results: This study includes 50 dengue positive patients in month of May and June 2024. Out of 50 Thrombocytopenia is seen in 35 cases (70%), Leucopenia is seen in 30 cases (60%), Lymphocytosis is seen in 35 cases (70%), Hematocrit >45% was seen in 8 cases, Reactive lymphocytes are seen in 26 cases (52%).
Conclusion: Through the above study it was concluded that hematological parameters (Leucopenia, Lymphocytosis, Thrombocytopenia) are an important diagnostic clue for dengue fever.
