High accuracy of low platelet counts supports dengue monitoring
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by infected mosquitoes. The disease has a global distribution but is more prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical regions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately half of the world’s population is at risk, with an estimated 100–400 million infections annually, representing a significant public health burden (1).
Early detection and assessment of disease severity are critical for providing appropriate medical care and can substantially reduce fatality rates. In patients with acute febrile illness caused by dengue, a rapid decrease in platelet (PLT) count is often observed between four and six days after fever onset (2).
To support identification of severe cases, Faridah and coworkers at the University of Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia studied factors associated with dengue hemorrhagic fever and found that platelet count at the time of hospital admission was predictive (3). In patients diagnosed with dengue hemorrhagic fever, PLT counts showed a significant decline on day one and day three of hospitalization.
Platelet count monitoring in dengue
To support monitoring of conditions associated with thrombocytopenia, Boule hematology analyzers include a PLT extended count functionality designed to improve evaluation of samples with very low platelet counts. When enabled, the analyzer applies an extended platelet counting time, counting approximately three times more platelets than in the standard counting mode, with the aim of improving result reliability in the critically low PLT range.
Sample result from hematology analyzer
If PLT extended counting is activated and a low platelet count is detected, the extended count is displayed during analysis and indicated by an asterisk (*) next to the PLT parameter in result screens, printouts, and exported reports.
References
- WHO: Dengue and severe dengue. who.int (accessed 2023-05-17).
- Chaloemwong et al. Useful clinical features and hematological parameters for the diagnosis of dengue infection in patients with acute febrile illness: a retrospective study. BMC Hematol 18, 20 (2018).
- Faridah et al. Dynamic Changes of Platelet and Factors Related Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever: A Retrospective Study in Indonesian. Diagnostics (Basel) 12, 950 (2022).
