Pediatrics & Therapeutics
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0665
+44 1478 350008
ISSN: 2161-0665
+44 1478 350008
Andrew Phillip P Ong, Robert Dennis Garcia and Shirley Josefina Ong
Makati Medical Center, Philippines
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Pediatr Ther
Background: Dengue fever and chikungunya fever are both mosquito-borne illness which have emerged as major infectious diseases especially in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Due to similarities in the symptomatology of both chikungunya and dengue fever infections, it is necessary to diff erentiate the two illnesses clinically and/or by laboratory testing. Objectives: Th e aim of this study is to compare the clinical manifestations and laboratory features which diff erentiate between chikungunya and dengue infection during the acute viremic phase of the illness. Design: Th is is a retrospective cross-sectional study of children 18 years and younger diagnosed with chikungunya fever by serum PCR and dengue fever by serum dengue IgM or NS1 seen during January 1, 2012 to January 31, 2013. Setting: Makati Medical Center, Makati City, Philippines. Main Outcome Measure: Selected data on clinical symptomatology, physical examination fi ndings and laboratory examinations were obtained from review of medical charts, laboratory records and physician���¢��������s records. Results: 18 patients with chikungunya fever and 54 with dengue fever were analyzed for clinical symptomatology. Dengue patients were signifi cantly more likely to have mucosal bleeding, fever, abdominal pain and longer illness duration, while chikungunya patients were signifi cantly more likely to exhibit malaise, arthralgia and arthritis. Among the laboratory tests, dengue patients were signifi cantly more likely to has thrombocytopenia (platelets below 100,000), while chikungunya patients were more likely to have an elevated CRP. Conclusion: Chikungunya patients can be diff erentiated from dengue patients at presentation to the hospital despite substantial overlap in the clinical symptomatology, physical examination fi ndings and laboratory examinations.