Int J Intern Emerg Med | Volume 1, Issue 1 | Short Communication | Open Access

Nature and Clinical Course of Pleural Effusion in Dengue Fever

Muhammad Shabbir^1*, Fatmeena Ameen¹, Neelam Roshan¹ and Muhammad Israr²

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Pakistan
²Department of Science, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Pakistan

^*Correspondance to: Muhammad Shabbir 

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Abstract

Introduction: The clinical presentation of dengue fever varies from simple febrile illness to dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome which may sometime lead to death. Pleural effusion is one of the respiratory complications. Determination of the nature and clinical course of pleural effusion is important. Current study was planned to determine if the effusion in dengue fever is exudative or transudative and if it resolves spontaneously or develops further complication.
Materials and Methods: Prospective cross sectional study was conducted on 79 dengue patients. Clinically and radiologically confirmed pleural fluids were drained for diagnostic analysis.
Results: Out of 79 patients 10 developed pleural effusion mostly in young adults. Effusion was slightly more common on left side and rare on both sides. All effusions were exudative in nature with mean protein content more than 3.5 g/dl. All effusions resolved spontaneously on follow up visits not requiring any additional intervention.
Conclusion: Pleural effusion in DF is exudative but benign and self resolving in nature not requiring any additional intervention.

Keywords:

Dengue fever; Pleural effusion

Citation:

Shabbir M, Ameen F, Roshan N, Israr M. Nature and Clinical Course of Pleural Effusion in Dengue Fever. Int J Intern Emerg Med. 2018;1(1):1006.