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Dengue: an update for clinicians working in non-endemic areas.
Clin Med. 2015 Feb;15(1):82-5
Authors: Yacoub S, Wills B
Abstract
Dengue is one of the most rapidly emerging viral infections globally, with 2.5 billion people now thought to live in dengue-endemic areas. In addition, reports of travel-related and autochthonous infections are increasing in non-endemic areas. Most patients with dengue experience a self-limiting febrile illness, but a proportion develop potentially life threatening complications around the time of fever clearance, including plasma leakage occasionally leading to shock, bleeding, and organ impairment. As dengue can present with non-specific symptoms of fever, headache and myalgias, the potential for misdiagnosis and inappropriate management by medical staff inexperienced with the disease is a concern. This short review will outline the latest World Health Organisation disease classification, potential complications, clinical assessment and management for clinicians working in non-endemic areas.
PMID: 25650206 [PubMed - in process]