BackgroundDengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral disease in humans. Recently, there has been an epidemic shift of dengue from mainly affecting children to affecting more adults with increased severity. However, clinical factors associated with severe dengue in adults have varied widely between studies. We aimed to identify the clinical factors associated with the development of severe dengue according to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s 2009 definition.MethodsWe conducted a prospective study of adults with dengue admitted to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 2012 to December 2014. Univariate and stepwise multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.ResultsOf the 153 hospitalized patients with confirmed dengue viral infections, 132 (86.3 %) patients had non-severe dengue including dengue without warning signs (7 patients, 5.3 %) and dengue with warning signs (125, 94.7 %). The rest (21, 13.7 %) had severe dengue including severe plasma leakage (16, 76.2 %), severe organ involvement (16, 76.2 %), and severe clinical bleeding (8, 38.1 %). Using stepwise multivariate logistic regression, clinical factors identified as independently associated with the development of severe dengue were: (1) being >40 years old (odds ratio [OR]: 5.215, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.538–17.689), (2) having persistent vomiting (OR: 4.817, CI: 1.375–16.873), (3) having >300 cells per μL of absolute atypical lymphocytes (OR: 3.163, CI: 1.017–9.834), and (4) having lactate levels ≥2.0 mmol/L (OR: 7.340, CI: 2.334–23.087). In addition, increases in lactate and absolute atypical lymphocyte levels corresponded with severe dengue (p < 0.05).ConclusionsOur study identified several clinical factors independently associated with the development of severe dengue among hospitalized adults with dengue. This can aid in the early recognition and prompt management of at-risk patients to reduce morbidity and mortality.

BackgroundCurrently, there are no biomarkers that can predict the incidence of dengue shock and/or organ failure, although the early identification of risk factors is important in determining appropriate management to reduce mortality. Therefore, we sought to determine the factors associated with dengue shock and/or organ failure and to evaluate the prognostic value of serum procalcitonin (PCT) and peripheral venous lactate (PVL) levels as biomarkers of dengue shock and/or organ failure.Methodology/Principal FindingsA prospective observational study was conducted among adults hospitalized for confirmed viral dengue infection at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Bangkok, Thailand between October 2013 and July 2015. Data, including baseline characteristics, clinical parameters, laboratory findings, serum PCT and PVL levels, management, and outcomes, were recorded on pre-defined case report forms. Of 160 patients with dengue, 128 (80.0%) patients had dengue without shock or organ failure, whereas 32 (20.0%) patients developed dengue with shock and/or organ failure. Using a stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis, PCT ≥0.7 ng/mL (odds ratio [OR]: 4.80; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.60–14.45; p = 0.005) and PVL ≥2.5 mmol/L (OR: 27.99, 95% CI: 8.47–92.53; p <0.001) were independently associated with dengue shock and/or organ failure. A combination of PCT ≥0.7 ng/mL and PVL ≥2.5 mmol/L provided good prognostic value for predicting dengue shock and/or organ failure, with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.74–0.92), a sensitivity of 81.2% (95% CI: 63.6–92.8%), and a specificity of 84.4% (95% CI: 76.9–90.2%). Dengue shock patients with non-clearance of PCT and PVL expired during hospitalization.Conclusions/SignificancePCT ≥0.7 ng/mL and PVL ≥2.5 mmol/L were independently associated with dengue shock and/or organ failure. The combination of PCT and PVL levels could be used as prognostic biomarkers for the prediction of dengue shock and/or organ failure.

BackgroundDengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral disease in humans. However, the sensitivities of warning signs (WSs) for identifying severe dengue in adults are low, and the utility of lactate levels for identifying severe dengue in adults has not been verified. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of using peripheral venous lactate levels (PVL), as well as WSs established by the World Health Organization, for identifying severe dengue.MethodsWe prospectively evaluated individuals hospitalized for dengue who were admitted to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Thailand between May 2013 and January 2015. Blood samples to evaluate PVL levels were collected at admission and every 24 h until the patient exhibited a body temperature of <37.8 °C for at least 24 h. Data were recorded on a pre-defined case report form, including baseline characteristics, clinical parameters, and laboratory findings.ResultsAmong 125 patients with confirmed dengue, 105 (84.0 %) patients had non-severe dengue, and 20 (16.0 %) patients had severe dengue. The presence of clinical fluid accumulation as a WS provided high sensitivity (75.0 %, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 50.9–91.3 %) and specificity (90.5 %, 95 % CI: 83.2–95.3 %). The PVL level at admission was used to evaluate its diagnostic value, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.84 for identifying severe dengue. At the optimal cutoff value (PVL: 2.5 mmol/L), the sensitivity and specificity were 65.0 % (95 % CI: 40.8–84.6 %) and 96.2 % (95 % CI: 90.5–99.0 %), respectively. A combined biomarker comprising clinical fluid accumulation and/or PVL of ≥2.5 mmol/L provided the maximum diagnostic accuracy for identifying severe dengue, with a sensitivity of 90.0 % (95 % CI: 68.3–98.8 %) and a specificity of 87.6 % (95 % CI: 79.8–93.2 %).ConclusionsClinical fluid accumulation and/or PVL may be used as a diagnostic biomarker of severe dengue among adults. This biomarker may facilitate early recognition and timely treatment of patients with severe dengue, which may reduce dengue-related mortality and hospital burden.

Background: Accessibility and quality of hospital-based palliative care in Thailand have received scant attention. Objective: To determine the prevalence of inpatients who require in-hospital palliative care, to identify the proportion with access to specialist palliative care, and to define the factors associated with accessibility to specialist palliative care. Design: A cross-sectional analysis of a multicenter survey. Setting/Subjects: We surveyed all hospitalized patients from Thailand's four regions admitted to 14 tertiary care hospitals. Measurements: We used the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool to identify palliative care patients then reviewed their medical records. We categorized hospitalized palliative care patients into a palliative care consultation group and a nonconsultation group. The odds ratio (OR) between patient characteristics and patient groups was estimated using binary logistic regression. Results: One-fifth (18.7%) of hospitalized patients were palliative care patients, whereas only 17.3% received a specialist palliative care consult. Of these, one-third (28.4%) received advance care planning (ACP) documentation. One-quarter of patients in pain were not prescribed analgesics. The logistic regression analysis revealed that palliative care consultations were associated with patients >65 years (OR = 1.830, 95% confidence interval [CI]:

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