Dhf

[steffi]

Wife's sister in hospital with DHF (Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever)

Symptoms seems a little worrying.

Anybody have any experience with this disease?

[Sheryl]

It is a complication of normal dengue in which, possibly due to an autoimmune response, the body's normal blood clotting mechanisms are impaired, in turn leading to hemorrhage/risk of hemorrhage.

Treatment includes careful monitoring of platlet count, IV fluids to maintain plasma volume and, if necessary, blood transfusion. Dengue is a self-limiting infection usually lasting 1-2 weeks and the condition will spontaneously resolve and clotting return to normal once the infection has passed. Trick is to keep the patient stabilized until then.

Assuming your relative is in a hospital in Thailand, Thai medical facilities and doctors have a lot of experience managing this and the in-hospital mortality rate is low, especially for people who reach a hospital promptly.

So as long as she is in a reputable hospital, the prognosis is good. By "reputable" I mean a government hospital that is at provincial level or higher, or a large private hospital in a major city. District-level government hospitals, small private hospitals/private hospitals in the boondocks, best avoided.