In pediatric patients, clinical manifestation of dengue infection may vary with age

The clinical manifestations and severity of dengue infection often varies with age in pediatric patients, according to new findings by researchers from Thailand and presented at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's 58th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The researchers said patients with dengue infection may experience any of several manifestations, including asymptomatic infection, undifferentiated fever, dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. But their new findings indicated that in pediatric patients, certain manifestations of the infection may be more common among patients in certain age groups.

The researchers analyzed clinical data in children with dengue infection who were treated at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital between 1987 and 2007. In all patients, dengue infection was confirmed by serological and/or virological testing.

For purposes of this study, the patients were categorized into three age groups: 0-1 year, 2-12 years and 13-15 years.

For all three age groups, fever, hepatomegaly and bleeding were the most common clinical manifestations of dengue infection. But the results also indicated that respiratory tract and neurological symptoms were prominent among patients aged 0 to 1 year but were less common among the older patients. Dengue hemorrhagic fever was common in every age group, but dengue shock syndrome was more common among patients aged 2 to 12 years.

"The study emphasizes that there is significant variation of clinical manifestations in different age groups, suggesting that proper treatment must take into account the different age-specific clinical manifestations," the researchers wrote.

The researchers also said that they hope these findings will help clinicians to achieve early diagnoses, proper management and reduced mortality in pediatric patients with dengue infection.