巴基斯坦德拉伊斯梅尔汗一家三级护理医院登革热的流行病学研究
Epidemiological Study of Dengue Fever in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan.
作者信息
Khan Ahtesham, Khan Muhammad Anan, Fatima Kainat, Fawad Muhammad, Khan Muhammad Hamza, Rani Ramla, Bukhari Taha
机构信息
Department of General Medicine, District Headquarter Hospital, Medical Teaching Institute, Dera Ismail Khan, PAK.
Department of General Medicine, Mufti Mehmood Memorial Teaching Hospital, Medical Teaching Institute, Dera Ismail Khan, PAK.
出版信息
Cureus. 2025 Jul 29;17(7):e88950. doi: 10.7759/cureus.88950. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Background Dengue fever significantly burdens healthcare systems, particularly in resource-limited settings such as Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Mufti Mehmood Memorial Teaching Hospital, the designated Dengue Isolation Unit in the region, continues to receive a steady influx of patients. This study analyzed the epidemiological profile of dengue cases admitted to the hospital to support public health planning and guide resource allocation. Methods This retrospective study was conducted at Mufti Mehmood Memorial Teaching Hospital, Dera Ismail Khan, from October to December 2024, following ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board. A total of 168 patients with confirmed dengue fever (based on positive non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen or immunoglobulin M (IgM)/immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody tests) were included. The hospital also serves neighboring districts, covering a combined population of over 4.2 million. Patients with co-infections (e.g., malaria, typhoid, or leptospirosis) or without consent were excluded. Data were collected using a structured abstraction form and included demographic variables (age, gender, district of residence), clinical features (fever, body aches, hemorrhagic signs, skin rash), epidemiological information (recent travel history and destination), and laboratory findings (NS1 antigen or IgM/IgG results). Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (Released 2018; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, US). Associations between categorical variables were tested using the chi-square test, with p-values less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. Grammar was checked using Grammarly software (Grammarly, Inc., San Francisco, CA). Results Among the 168 patients diagnosed with dengue virus infection, 137 (81.5%) were male and 31 (18.5%) were female. The mean age was higher among females (34.5 ± 13.5 years) than males (28.0 ± 10.6 years), indicating more age variability in female patients. The most affected age group was 16-30 years (n = 101, 60.1%), followed by 31-45 (n = 44, 26.2%). Cases rose progressively from October (n = 37, 22%) to a peak in November (n = 108, 64.3%), before declining in December (n = 23, 13.7%). Serological testing showed full positivity for NS1, IgM, or IgG in all female patients. In contrast, a few male patients were negative for at least one marker (NS1, 4/137; IgM, 13/137; IgG, 9/137), though these differences were not statistically significant. Similarly, no significant gender-based differences were observed in clinical features such as fever, body aches, bleeding, or rashes. Most patients (n = 114, 67.9%) reported no recent travel history, while 54 (32.1%) had travelled to Karachi, Islamabad, or Rawalpindi. The highest number of cases originated from District Tank (n = 63, 37.5%), followed by Lakki Marwat (n = 46, 27.4%) and Dera Ismail Khan (n = 44, 26.2%). Conclusion Dengue fever peaks during the post-monsoon season and disproportionately affects males and young adults. District Tank and Lakki Marwat reported the highest burden of disease. Poor sanitation and limited mosquito control appear to drive transmission. These findings underscore the need for targeted vector control measures, public health awareness campaigns, and strengthened healthcare infrastructure to manage future outbreaks more effectively.
背景 登革热给医疗系统带来了沉重负担,在巴基斯坦开伯尔-普赫图赫瓦省德拉伊斯梅尔汗等资源有限的地区尤为如此。该地区指定的登革热隔离单位穆夫提·马哈茂德纪念教学医院持续接收大量患者。本研究分析了该医院收治的登革热病例的流行病学特征,以支持公共卫生规划并指导资源分配。方法 本回顾性研究于2024年10月至12月在德拉伊斯梅尔汗的穆夫提·马哈茂德纪念教学医院进行,经机构审查委员会伦理批准。共纳入168例确诊登革热患者(基于非结构蛋白1(NS1)抗原阳性或免疫球蛋白M(IgM)/免疫球蛋白G(IgG)抗体检测)。该医院还服务周边地区,覆盖人口超过420万。排除合并感染(如疟疾、伤寒或钩端螺旋体病)或不同意参与的患者。使用结构化摘要表收集数据,包括人口统计学变量(年龄、性别、居住地区)、临床特征(发热、身体疼痛、出血体征、皮疹)、流行病学信息(近期旅行史及目的地)和实验室检查结果(NS1抗原或IgM/IgG结果)。使用IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows 26.0版(2