Early diagnostic indicators of dengue vs. other febrile illnesses in Asia and Latin America: a multicenter, prospective, observational study
8 Mar, 2023 | 14:16h | UTCSummary:
The IDAMS study is a large, prospective, observational study conducted in eight countries in Asia and Latin America to investigate early diagnostic indicators of dengue compared to other febrile illnesses. The study included 7428 patients with undifferentiated fever, of whom 2694 were diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed dengue and 2495 with other febrile illnesses.
Platelet count, white blood cell count, and their changes over time were strongly associated with dengue, while cough and rhinitis were strongly associated with other febrile illnesses. The study found that a set of 14 clinical and three laboratory predictors can distinguish between dengue and other febrile illnesses during the early phase of symptoms, with sensitivities of 80-87% and specificities of 80-91%. The study also found that models that include laboratory markers outperform those based solely on clinical variables.
The study’s results provide important information for updating guidelines on the management of febrile illnesses, particularly in resource-limited settings where distinguishing between dengue and other febrile illnesses is crucial for patient management.
Invited Commentary: Differentiating dengue from other febrile illnesses: a dilemma faced by clinicians in dengue endemic countries – The Lancet Global Health
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