Warning: Overweight children with dengue fever are at risk of serious illness

sốt xuất huyết - Ảnh 1. — People get vaccinated against dengue fever at a vaccination facility in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

Dr. Do Chau Viet - Head of the Intensive Care Unit for Infection, Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City - said that the Intensive Care Unit for Infection has just received and is actively treating a 12-year-old boy with dengue shock.

Before that, the baby had a fever and was treated at home for two days. Then, the family took the baby to a clinic near their home. The baby was diagnosed with pharyngitis and took medicine for three days, but it did not improve and instead became more tired, with increasing abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea several times, and nosebleeds.

The family took the child to the provincial hospital in a state of shock, blood concentration, HCT increased by 56%, platelets decreased 5-6 times compared to normal, liver enzymes increased 5 times normal, rapid pulse, and clamped blood pressure.

Despite active anti-shock, the patient's clinical condition did not respond, breathing became more labored, blood concentration was still high and he was transferred to Children's Hospital 2.

When transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of Children's Hospital 2, the baby was in respiratory failure. Doctors and nurses supported the baby with oxygen and administered high molecular fluids. Up to now, doctors have recorded that the baby's hemodynamics are stable and will continue to monitor him.

Doctor Viet added that the patient had a history of asthma and was in the overweight and obese group. Since the beginning of the year, the department has also received many cases of children with dengue fever who are overweight and have underlying diseases.

Vietnamese doctors warn that the rainy season is approaching, and the possibility of dengue fever increasing. Therefore, families need to pay attention to early signs of dengue fever such as: sudden high fever, continuous with symptoms of headache, loss of appetite, nausea, skin congestion, muscle pain, joint pain, pain in the eye socket, skin and mucous membrane bleeding...

Because dengue fever can progress rapidly and cause dangerous complications, as soon as a child shows signs of worsening, parents need to take the child to the hospital for examination.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), the total number of dengue fever cases accumulated from the beginning of 2025 to April 27 in Ho Chi Minh City is 6,920 cases. Districts with high number of cases per 100,000 people include Can Gio district, Cu Chi district and Thu Duc city.

Warning signs of severe dengue fever

The child struggles, is lethargic, has severe and continuous abdominal pain or increased pain, especially in the right hypochondrium.

Child vomits more than 3 times within 1 hour or 4 or more times within 6 hours. Mucosal bleeding: bleeding gums, nose, vomiting blood, vaginal bleeding or blood in urine.

Liver larger than 2cm below the rib cage, little urine, cold and clammy hands and feet, goose bumps on skin, labored breathing.

Back to topic

THUY DUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/canh-bao-tre-du-can-bi-sot-xuat-huyet-de-nguy-kich-20250504094618441.htm