Dengue patients don’t die of platelet deficiency

 

New Delhi, August 04, 2016: According to international guidelines, unless the platelet count is below 10,000 and there is spontaneous active bleeding, no platelet transfusion is required, said Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal – President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Honorary Secretary General IMA. 

                     The cause of death in dengue is capillary leakage, which causes blood deficiency in the intravascular compartment, leading to multiorgan failure, he added. At the first instance of plasma leakage from intravascular compartment to extravascular compartment, 20 ml per kg body weight per hour of fluid replacement should be administered to the patient till the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure is more than 40 mm Hg or the patient passes adequate urine. Giving unnecessary platelet transfusion to the patient can harm the individual. 
Heart Care Foundation of India has developed a ‘Formula of 20’ for family doctors to understand the severity of dengue. 
• Rise in pulse by 20.
• Fall in upper blood pressure by 20 mmHg.
• Pulse pressure is lower than 20.
• Hematocrit increased by 20% .
• Platelet count is less than 20,000.
• More than 20 petechiae in the tourniquet test.