The Clinical Presentations and Outcomes of Dengue Fever in a Tertiary Hospital in the United Arab Emirates: Retrospective Study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the clinical presentation, laboratory findings, and outcomes of confirmed dengue fever in a tertiary hospital in the United Arab Emirates, with emphasis on age-related differences.
Material and Methods: This retrospective observational study included 510 patients aged >13 years with laboratory-confirmed dengue fever admitted to Al-Qassimi Hospital from January to June 2024. Clinical and laboratory data were compared between patients aged <40 and ≥40 years using chi-square tests.
Results: Dengue PCR was positive in 99.6% of cases. Gastrointestinal bleeding and headache were more frequent in younger patients (41.4% vs. 29.1%, p=0.005; 39.2% vs. 29.6%, p=0.028), as was leukopenia (48.7% vs. 38.3%, p=0.023). Older patients had more thrombocytopenia (43.0% vs. 29.2%, p=0.001), renal impairment (21.8% vs. 8.4%, p<0.001), and hepatic impairment (64.4% vs. 49.7%, p=0.001). ICU admission (0.8%), hospital stay ≥5 days (4.3%), and mortality (0.6%) were low and did not differ significantly by age.
Conclusion: Dengue showed clear age-related differences in clinical and laboratory presentation, while overall outcomes remained favorable across both age groups.