Specialists prepare to deal with dengue fever

Santo Domingo, DR
Because dengue produces epidemic peaks every two or three years, the last one being in 2019, the Dominican Society of Pediatrics gathered its specialists and residents to orient them on treatment measures and warning signs to prepare for new infant cases.

Dr. Virgen Gómez Alba, pediatric infectious disease specialist and past president of this specialized society, gave guidance on the subject, emphasizing that children and adolescents are the most frequently affected.

“The last epidemic outbreak was in 2019, so we have to be alert as we are in the period where we can have a new epidemic, said the specialist.

He stressed that the confirmed serotype is DEN 2.

She also reminded that the day when the fever decreases or subsides, the critical stage of the disease begins and that the appearance of alarm signs such as intense and continuous abdominal pain, sensory disorders, mucosal bleeding, mainly through gums, edema, palpable liver larger than two centimeters and persistent vomiting is the stage in which the patient should be admitted, adequately hydrated and with strict surveillance of his general condition.

He explained that this is when it can evolve into severe dengue and even die if adequate and necessary fluids are not administered at the right time and with a strict follow-up of its evolution.

Hydration
In view of the increase of cases registered in the country, the Dominican Society of Pediatrics urges mothers, fathers, and guardians to be alert to sudden-onset fever, hydrate their children adequately, and watch for warning signs when the fever ceases.

This care is the best tool to detect the critical stage’s onset and make early interventions to prevent progression to severe dengue and death. The new guide presents the three pathologies transmitted by mosquito bites.