Predictors of plasma leakage among dengue patients in Thailand: A plasma-leak score analysis

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 29;16(7):e0255358. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255358. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Delayed plasma leakage recognition could lead to improper fluid administration resulting in dengue shock syndrome, subsequently, multi-organ failure, and death. This prospective observational study was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand, between March 2018 and February 2020 to determine predictors of plasma leakage and develop a plasma leakage predictive score among dengue patients aged ≥15 years. Of 667 confirmed dengue patients, 318 (47.7%) developed plasma leakage, and 349 (52.3%) had no plasma leakage. Multivariate analysis showed three independent factors associated with plasma leakage, including body mass index ≥25.0 kg/m2 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.784; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.040-3.057; P = 0.035), platelet count <100,000/mm3 on fever days 3 to 4 (OR = 2.151; 95% CI = 1.269-3.647; P = 0.004), and aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase ≥100 U/l on fever days 3 to 4 (OR = 2.189; 95% CI = 1.231-3.891; P = 0.008). Because these three parameters had evidence of equality, each independent factor was weighted to give a score of 1 with a total plasma-leak score of 3. Higher scores were associated with increased plasma leakage occurrence, with ORs of 2.017 (95% CI = 1.052-3.869; P = 0.035) for score 1, 6.158 (95% CI = 2.914-13.015; P <0.001) for score 2, and 6.300 (95% CI = 2.419-16.407; P <0.001) for score 3. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curves for predicting plasma leakage was good (0.677 [95% CI = 0.616-0.739]). Patients with a plasma-leak score ≥1 had high sensitivity (88.8%), and those with a plasma-leak score of 3 had high specificity (93.4%) for plasma leakage occurrence. This simple and easily accessible clinical score might help physicians provide early and timely appropriate clinical dengue management in endemic areas.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Alanine Transaminase / blood
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases / blood
  • Dengue* / blood
  • Dengue* / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • ROC Curve
  • Risk Factors
  • Severe Dengue / blood
  • Severe Dengue / epidemiology
  • Thailand / epidemiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Alanine Transaminase
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand. The funding organizations had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, decision to publish or writing of the manuscript.