Comparison of Manual Versus Automated Platelet Count In Predicting Haemorrhagic Manifestations In Patients With Dengue

Objective: To compare the manual versus automated platelet count in predicting haemorrhagic manifestations in patients with dengue presenting at our hospital in one year. Study Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Place and Duration of Study: Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jan 2019 to Jan 2020. Methodology: This study included 280 cases with confirmed diagnoses of dengue fever. All the patients underwent manual and automated platelet counts within 24 hours of diagnosis confirmation. They were then followed up for 12 weeks to look for haemorrhagic complications. Thrombocytopenia on each method and other socio-demographic factors were compared among the patients with and without haemorrhagic complications. Results: The mean age of study participants was 36.3±2.75 years. 163(74.1%) were males, while 57(25.9%) were females. 98(44.5%) patients had thrombocytopenia at manual platelet count, while 99(45%) had thrombocytopenia at the automated count. 44(20%) showed the presence of haemorrhagic complication within the 12-week time, while 176(80%) did not manifest any haemorrhagic complication. Pearson chi-square analysis revealed that thrombocytopenia at automated platelet count and advancing age were the factors strongly linked with the presence of haemorrhagic complications among the patients suffering from dengue fever in our setting. Conclusion: Hemorrhagic complications were common among patients suffering from dengue fever. The results showed that a low platelet count on automated platelet count emerged as a strong predictor for haemorrhagic complications compared to the manual platelet count.