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Laboratory features of common causes of fever in returned travelers
- Source :
- Journal of travel medicine. 21(4)
- Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- Background There can be considerable overlap in the clinical presentation and laboratory features of dengue, malaria, and enteric fever, three important causes of fever in returned travelers. Routine laboratory tests including full blood examination (FBE), liver function tests (LFTs), and C-reactive protein (CRP) are frequently ordered on febrile patients, and may help differentiate between these possible diagnoses. Methods Adult travelers returning to Australia who presented to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with confirmed diagnosis of dengue, malaria, or enteric fever between January 1, 2000 and March 1, 2013 were included in this retrospective study. Laboratory results for routine initial investigations performed within the first 2 days were extracted and analyzed. Results There were 304 presentations including 58 with dengue fever, 187 with malaria, and 59 with enteric fever, comprising 56% of all returned travelers with a febrile systemic illness during the study period. Significant findings included 9-fold and 21-fold odds of a normal CRP in dengue compared with malaria and enteric fever, respectively. The odds of an abnormally low white cell count (WCC) were also significantly greater in dengue versus malaria or enteric fever. Approximately one third of dengue presentations and almost half of the malaria presentations had platelet counts
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Dengue fever
Dengue
Young Adult
Community-acquired pneumonia
Risk Factors
Internal medicine
Tropical Medicine
Medicine
Blood test
Humans
Lymphocyte Count
Typhoid Fever
Prospective cohort study
Retrospective Studies
Travel
Tropical Climate
Leukopenia
medicine.diagnostic_test
business.industry
Australia
Retrospective cohort study
General Medicine
Middle Aged
medicine.disease
Malaria
C-Reactive Protein
Immunology
Female
medicine.symptom
business
Liver function tests
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 17088305
- Volume :
- 21
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of travel medicine
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....66fcc6196d6ca535d8fca97d0759ef0a