TITLE:
A New Approach to Reducing Mortality from Dengue
AUTHORS:
Sonia Maria Oliveira de Andrade, Cyntia Maria Moreira Herkert, Rivaldo Venancio da Cunha, Mariana Delfino Rodrigues, Baldomero Antonio Kato da Silva
KEYWORDS:
Dengue; Disease Classification; World Health Organization
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Clinical Diagnostics,
Vol.4 No.1,
March
4,
2014
ABSTRACT: In 2009, based on a multicenter study conducted in Asia and Latin Americaand subsidized by the Dengue Control (DENCO) Research Program, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed a new classification for dengue cases. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the applicability of the new classification, relative to its previous version [1]. The evaluation, conducted in Campo Grande county, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, drew on secondary data from referral healthcare centers that assist high-severity dengue patients. A total of 156 medical records of patients with laboratory diagnosis of dengue were investigated. The records covered two epidemic periods: summer of 2006-2007 and summer of 2009-2010. The results showed that 64.6% of cases classified as dengue fever under the 1997 criteria presented manifestations of severity, warranting their reclassification as dengue with warning signs (49) or severe dengue (15) under the 2009 revised criteria. Bleeding, persistent vomiting, and severe, continuous abdominal pain were the most prevalent warning signs, indicative of risk of progression to severe disease. The revised classification was proved less complex than the current version, facilitating the identification of cases and the clinical management of patients.