Differences in clinical and laboratory characteristics and disease severity between children and adults with dengue virus infection in Taiwan, 2002

To compare the clinical and laboratory characteristics and disease severity between adults and children with dengue in Taiwan in 2002, we retrospectively studied 661 serologically confirmed dengue-infected patients (606 adults and 55 children) admitted between June and December 2002 to a single medical centre. The medical charts of the patients were reviewed for demographic, clinical, laboratory and imaging information. Compared with children, adult patients were found to have: higher incidences of arthralgia (P < 0.001), myalgia (P = 0.002), headache (P = 0.028), abdominal pain (P = 0.004) and upper gastrointestinal bleeding (P = 0.013); lower platelet counts (P < 0.001), prothrombin time (P = 0.030) and serum albumin levels (P = 0.037); a higher incidence of elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (P = 0.001); and a higher prevalence of dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) (14.4% vs. 3.6%; P = 0.026). The current data showed differences in clinical manifestations and laboratory characteristics between children and adults with dengue virus infection. Notably, a higher incidence of DHF was observed in adult patients compared with children in the 2002 dengue epidemic in Taiwan.