Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between the degree of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and the presence of comorbidities among hospitalized patients in a tertiary care institute in India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study included 350 serologically confirmed dengue adult inpatients. Patients were grouped by WHO-defined dengue fever (DHF Grades 1-3). Age, gender, dengue severity, and comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease (CVD), human immunodeficiency virus, chronic liver disease (CLD), and stroke were recorded. RESULTS: Among 350 patients, 56.6% were male and 88.9% were aged under 50 years. The most prevalent classification was DHF Grade 1 at 62.6%, followed by Grade 2 at 30.9% and Grade 3 at 2.9%. Strong correlations were identified between the severity of DHF and comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, CVD, and CLD (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: High DHF grades are linked to comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, CVD, and CLD. In dengue-endemic areas, early identification and monitoring of high-risk patients can improve care and prevent catastrophic outcomes.