Adapt following precautionary measures to avoid the danger
Regularly check for stagnant water in pot plants, wheel bar rows, roof guttering, ponds, pools etc.
Spray under beds & behind curtains with residual surface spray.
Use good mosquito repellent
Wear light colored clothing
Repair damaged screens on windows and rainwater tanks.
Symptoms of dengue fever
Fatigue
Headache
Nausea
Rash occurring three to four days after onset of the fever
Severe joint and bone pain
Sudden high fever (higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit)
Vomiting
Serious symptoms that indicating life-threatening condition
Symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever include:
Bleeding gums
Bleeding under the skin and purple bruises
Nosebleeds
Symptoms of dengue shock syndrome include:
Change in level of consciousness or alertness, such as passing out or unresponsiveness
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
Shock
Uncontrolled bleeding and hemorrhage
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for dengue
Persons with dengue fever should rest and drink plenty of fluids.
Avoid using Disprin, asprin or any other similar medicine
People should be kept away from mosquitoes for the protection of others.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is treated by replacing lost fluids.
Patients in severe condition may need transfusions to control bleeding.
HOW TO DEAL WITH DHF
This child is suffering from dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF).
His capillaries are leaking fluid and he has a tendency to bleed.
This is what distinguishes DHF from dengue.
It is a painful disease which can cause severe bleeding, and if not treated properly and timely, often results in death.
But the problem of treating DHF does not start here on the ward, it starts much earlier wherever patients are first seen. and emergency wards
If you are in a dengue-affected area you should suspect dengue fever if you recognize one or more of the following symptoms:
• Fever pattern: an abrupt onset, high fever, and sometimes a saddleback fever, a fever that does not completely respond to paracetamol syrup.
• Symptoms of headache, retro orbital pain, muscle pain, and joint pain.
• A child may appear physically tired or have other altered behavior, for example A quiet child ,irritability or vomiting.
• Skin may show signs of a flushed face or there may be erythema or maculo-papular rash on the head and trunk children with these region of the body.
If you suspect dengue, then the next step is to look for risk factors or features of DHF.
Increase in size and the tenderness of the liver might also suggest DHF.
Distinguish the symptoms from other common illnesses such as measles or malaria.
Laboratory tests compatible with DHF are:
• decrease in white cell count
• decrease in platelet count; and making a blood film
• increase in haematocrit.
A blood film may also show atypical lymphocytes.
A specific test for DHF is the tourniquet test. This is done by first measuring the blood pressure.
Remember to use a blood pressure cuff the right size for the child. Then inflate the cuff to a pressure exactly half way between systolic and diastolic pressures. Now keep the pressure inflated for 5 minutes. After releasing the cuff look carefully for small red or purple bleeding points in the skin known as petechiae.
These might be tiny, the size of a pinhead. If there are 10 or more bleeding points in 1 square inch area, then the test is positive.
But remember, the tourniquet test can be negative especially early in the disease or in obese patients or in patients with shock.
So, if there is any suspicion of dengue or DHF here is:
What to do / What not to do
What to do :
*Bring the temperature down.
Whatever being the cause of fever, a very high temperature can be dangerous and can cause fits known as febrile convulsions.
To bring down high fever to below 39 °C, gently sponge the child with clot soaked in water and give paracetamol.
*Maintain hydration and electrolyte balance using oral fluids.
Thirst is common but many children need help to drink.
Avoid giving from a bottle only water as this will not replace lost electrolytes.
*Continue breast feeding if possible.
*Keep mosquitoes away, for example using nets, to stop spread of the disease from a person with dengue.
Remember unlike malaria, the mosquitoes that spread the dengue will usually bite during the day.
What not to do:
*Avoid certain drugs, for example, aspirin, NSAIs (non steroidal inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen) which leads to bleeding.
*Avoid inappropriate intravenous (IV) fluids.
*Always use oral fluids if the child is able to drink.
*In DHF, if IV fluids are given when not necessary or too quickly, the extra fluid can pour out of the leaky capillaries into the tissues. You may see this as puffiness around the eyes, or even abdominal distension due to fluid in the peritoneal cavity. But most importantly fluid easily leaks into the pleural space causing pleural effusions and by pressing on the lungs this makes breathing difficult.
The wrong kind of fluid, for example, too much 5% dextrose on its own without any IV Drip balanced salt solution, can also cause problems such as convulsions due to brain edema or swelling.
The warning signs of what to look for and when
Parents as well as health-care workers need to know these as most of them signify the child needs admission to hospital.
* It is important to remember that the risk period is especially high in the first 1–2 days after the fever subsides. This is known as the critical period.
The warning signs include
• Refusing to accept oral fluids or vomiting.
• Sleepy or restless child.
• Bleeding, especially gastro-intestinal bleeding with fresh or old blood in the vomit or stool. Old blood in the vomit looks like coffee grounds; in the stool it may resemble thick black coal tar.
• A child suffering from abdominal pain.
• Skin mottling, cold sweaty skin or cold hands and feet.
• Absence of urine in the last 6 hours.
In addition to the above, doctors or nurses should also measure
• Capillary refill time (CRT)
• Heart rate
• Respiratory rate
• Blood pressure
Of all these a capillary refill time of more than 2 seconds, especially easy to detect.
Early signs of shock or significant bleeding need urgent referral to hospital.
In DHF, although a child may appear to initially survive a period of prolonged shock, haemorrhage will often become severe and other complications such as renal failure can develop.
It may also be difficult to reverse.
A paediatric ward provides frequent and skilled observation and immediate management of these complications.
Remember that the risk period is especially high during the first 1–2 days after the fever subsides. This is known as critical period. It is during this phase that capillary leak can be severe.
Plasma leakage is the most important feature of DHF and often precedes bleeding. This is a feature that needs special monitoring.
A centrifuge and capillary blood tubes provide the most essential and frequently performed test with immediate results.
As the capillaries start to leak plasma, the remaining red cells become more concentrated.
DHF frequently shows a rise in haematocrit of 20%, that would be a change in haematocrit for example from 35% to 42%.
As the plasma level falls the haematocrit rises sharply as there is not enough fluid. But most importantly, fluid easily leaks into the pleural space causing pleural fast effusions, and by pressing on the lungs makes breathing more difficult.
During the capillary leak phase just enough fluid must be given to prevent circulatory shock.
*The paediatricians will refer to published guidelines or wall charts to give exactly the right amount of fluid at this critical stage.
*A falling haematocrit could be a sign of bleeding. This is an important sign where
bleeding is concealed.
*Sometimes bleeding into the gut may not be apparent, for example until it passes out in the stool or vomit. Remember this sort of bleeding can be associated with severe abdominal pain.
In children who are obviously recovering, fluid that leaked into the tissues, peritoneum or chest cavity will be reabsorbed and may also result in a fall in haematocrit.
Remember nurses will still be observing children closely for any of the important warning signs
• A child refusing to accept oral fluids or vomiting
• Sleepy or restless
• A child suffering from abdominal pain
• Skin mottling
• Cold sweaty skin
• Cold hands or feet
• A reduced urine output
These are all signs of shock which may require immediate increase in IV fluid.
Bleeding which may be visible concealed may require urgent blood transfusion if severe.
A child whose breathing is fast or requiring more effort may require oxygen therapy and immediate reduction in the IV fluid.
In addition to these observations doctors or nurses will also monitor:
• Capillary refill time (CRT)
• Heart rate
• Respiratory rate
• Blood pressure
In critically ill children, these observations might be necessary every half hour.
Child in critical stage
Features common in the recovery period which may support the clinical diagnosis of DHF are:
*a widespread itching rash often with white centres,
*slowing of the heart rate,
but for definitive diagnosis,
*blood samples should be taken.
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