Abstract

ALFARO OBANDO, Anabelle; GUARDIA CALDERA, Mónica  and  ANGULO JAUBERT, Cristian. Organización de la atención médica en la Epidemia de Dengue hemorrágico en el Hospital "Dr. Enrique Baltodano" de Liberia, 2003. Acta méd. costarric [online]. 2006, vol.48, n.4, pp.185-189. ISSN 0001-6002.

Aim: Dengue is an endemic disease that causes outbreaks in the country every year. This validates the requirement of a special organization of Health Service that would guarantee immediate attention to the population. Methods: A transversal descriptive study was done in 1153 inpatients at Dr. Enrique Baltodano Hospital throughout 2003. The descriptive phase was done by sex, age, admission stay, and discharge diagnosis. The patient assessment and management in a dengue epidemic is described. The reference laboratory for dengue was INCIENSA laboratory, which detected serotype 2 dengue circulation. No deceased were reported in the country due to dengue hemorrhagic fever. Results: The study population was 1153 dengue patients, 549 (47.6%) males and 604 (52.4%) females. The mean age was 33 years with a range from 2 to 94 years, from which 52 (5%) satisfied the criteria for dengue hemorrhagic fever, 949 (82%) had platelet count less than 100.000/mm³, 152 (13 %) presenting hemorrhagic manifestations. There were no complications throughout the hospital stay. The mean admission stay was 2.26 days (IC_95%=2.32-2.19). Conclusions: These results show the need of a strategy for the management of patients during dengue epidemics. This guarantees a death rate of 0% and a shorter admission stay. These results were achieved by means of early identification of the admission criterion and using the clinical and laboratory signs for dengue diagnosis. The economic impact and abolition of lethality can be reached by every Health Service.

Keywords : Clasic dengue fever; treatment of dengue; hemorragic dengue; ultrasonid in dengue.