Dengue Fever Symptoms and First Aid

Dengue fever caused by dengue virus which is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes mosquito, or Aedes albopictus aegipty androgynous females. Mosquitoes legged brindle white men bite during the day.

Typically, dengue fever is endemic when the change of seasons from the rainy season to the dry season or otherwise.


Symptoms of Dengue Fever

• Sudden high fever for 2-7 days, looked limp, body temperature between 38 º C to 40 º C or more .
• Looks red spots on the skin, and if stretched skin rash that does not disappear.
• Sometimes bleeding in the nose (nosebleeds).
• Maybe there is vomiting blood or dysentery.
• Torniquet test positive.
• The presence of petechiae, ecchymoses, or purpura.
• Sometimes heartburn, because of bleeding in the stomach.
• When severe, the patient restless, end of cold hands and feet, sweating, bleeding mucous mucous membranes, gastrointestinal digestive system tools, injection site or other place.
• Haematemesis or melaena.
• Thrombocytopenia (= 100,000 per mm3).
• Enlargement of the plasma are closely related to the increase in permeability of the blood vessel wall, which is marked by the appearance of one or more of the following:
  • The increase in hematocrit value of 20 % or more depending on age and gender.
  • The decline in hematocrit from baseline values of 20% or more after treatment.
  • The signs are enlargement plasma pleural effusion, ascites, hypo - proteinaemia.

Dengue Fever First Aid

Here are some things you can do as a form of first aid to patients with dengue fever are:

• Providing drinking as much as possible.
• Compress, so the heat down.
• Giving febrifuge.
• If within 3 days of fever does not go down or even go up immediately brought to a hospital or health center.
• If you can not drink or persistent vomiting, the condition worsens, decreased or lost consciousness then have to be hospitalized.

Modes of Transmission of Dengue Fever

Dengue is transmitted by the bite of Aedes aegypti containing dengue virus.

The characteristics of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes:

• Black and brindle (striped) white on the entire body.
• Breed in water and shelter items that allow stagnant water such as: bath, jars, drums, flower vases, old tires, etc..
• Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can not breed in ditches or ponds where the water is directly related to land.
• Usually bite humans in the early morning or late afternoon.
• Able to fly up to 100 meters.

Way of handling dengue patients include:

• Monitor the patient's body temperature every day.
• Take the patient back to the doctor if the fever lasts 3 days.
• Rest and adequate fluid intake are two things that are very important in patients with dengue virus infection.
• If the patient is getting weak, vomiting, difficulty eating or drinking, intravenous fluids should be done by a doctor.
• When the laboratory results showed no signs of decreased platelets or an increase in hematocrit, the patient should be hospitalized.
• Patients are monitored should be no shock that is characterized by weakness, drowsiness, and fainting, while cold feet once.

Tag : Dengue Fever, Health Articles