Clinicohematological Details of Alcoholics Affected with Dengue: A Retrospective Observation
Ramakrishna Pai Jakribettu, Thomas George, Micheal L J Pais, Swathi Deepak Kulkarni, Srikant Natarajan, Manjeshwar Shrinath BaligaAbstract
Introduction:
Dengue is a tropical disease, and alcohol abuse is also common in developing countries in the tropics. Patients with alcoholism and dengue may have more complications due to compromised liver functions. Hence, the changes in hematological and biochemical parameters among alcoholic dengue patients need to be analyzed for warning changes to improve treatment outcomes. The present study was conducted to compare the hematological and biochemical profiles of dengue patients with and without alcoholism.
Materials and Methods:
This was a retrospective study conducted with data from healthy individuals and dengue patients with and without alcoholism. The demographic details, signs and symptoms, and hematological and biochemical (hepatorenal) parameters were studied. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-neutrophil ratio, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and systemic immune-inflammation index were studied.
Results:
A total of 252 patients were diagnosed with dengue during the study; 33 (13.09) had known cases of alcohol abuse, and almost equal numbers of age- and sex-matched healthy individuals, i.e., 251, were included in the study. Symptoms such as reduced urine output, melena, skin rashes, retro-orbital pain, and hematuria were observed more often in alcoholic patients than in nonalcoholic dengue patients. The total leukocyte count, MLR, total bilirubin, urea level, and creatinine level were greater, and the platelet (PLT) count and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) were lower in alcoholic dengue patients than in nonalcoholic dengue patients.
Conclusion:
Compared with those in nonalcoholic dengue patients, the signs and symptoms in alcoholic dengue patients appear to be more aggressive, especially for malena and hematuria. A low PLT, LMR, and elevated total bilirubin, urea, and creatinine in alcoholic dengue patients are considered to be crucial for determining treatment outcomes.