eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Infectious Diseases

Dengue Fever: Treatment & Medication

Author: Daniel D Price, MD, Director of Ultrasound Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Highland General Hospital, Alameda County Medical Center
Coauthor(s): Sharon R Wilson, MD, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at Davis Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jan 31, 2008

Treatment

Prehospital Care

  • Initiate supportive therapy
    • Intravenous (IV) crystalloids, as needed to keep systolic blood pressure above 90 mm Hg
    • O2, empirically

Emergency Department Care

  • Supportive therapy
    • IV access, O2, and monitoring are helpful.
    • IV crystalloids may be necessary for hypotension; central line may be needed.
    • Correct electrolyte abnormalities and acidemia.
  • Implement therapy for DIC if indicated.
  • Corticosteroids are not helpful.
  • No antiviral therapy is available.

Consultations

  • Infectious disease
  • Travel clinic, if available

Medication

No specific medications are indicated for direct treatment of the dengue virus infection.

More on Dengue Fever

Overview: Dengue Fever
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Dengue Fever
Treatment & Medication: Dengue Fever
Follow-up: Dengue Fever
Multimedia: Dengue Fever
References

References

  1. Guzman MG, Kouri G. Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever in the Americas: lessons and challenges. J Clin Virol. May 2003;27(1):1-13. [Medline].

  2. Guzman MG, Kouri G. Dengue: an update. Lancet Infect Dis. Jan 2002;2(1):33-42. [Medline].

  3. Halstead SB. Pathogenesis of dengue: challenges to molecular biology. Science. Jan 29 1988;239(4839):476-81. [Medline].

  4. Hoeprich PD, Jordan MC, Ronald AR, eds; Halstead SB. Infectious Diseases: A Treatise of Infectious Processes. 1994:919-923.

  5. Kao CL, King CC, Chao DY, et al. Laboratory diagnosis of dengue virus infection: current and future perspectives in clinical diagnosis and public health. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. Feb 2005;38(1):5-16. [Medline].

  6. Kuno G. Review of the factors modulating dengue transmission. Epidemiol Rev. 1995;(2):321-35. [Medline].

  7. Malavige GN, Fernando S, Fernando DJ, et al. Dengue viral infections. Postgrad Med J. Oct 2004;80(948):588-601. [Medline].

  8. Mandell GL, Douglas RG Jr, Bennett JE, eds; Monath TP. Principles and Practice of Infectious Disease. 3rd ed. Churchill Livingstone Inc; 1990:1248-1251.

  9. Monath TP. Dengue and yellow fever--challenges for the development and use of vaccines. N Engl J Med. Nov 29 2007;357(22):2222-5. [Medline].

  10. Monath TP. Yellow fever and dengue: The interactions of virus, vector, and host in the re-emergence of epidemic disease. Semin Virol. 1994;5:133-145.

  11. Morens DM. Antibody-dependent enhancement of infection and the pathogenesis of viral disease. Clin Infect Dis. Sep 1994;19(3):500-12. [Medline].

  12. Ray CG, Ryan KJ, ed. Sherris Medical Microbiology: An Introduction to Infectious Diseases. McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing; 1994:525-535.

  13. Stephenson JR. Understanding dengue pathogenesis: implications for vaccine design. Bull World Health Organ. Apr 2005;83(4):308-14. [Medline].

  14. Tassniyom S, Vasanawathana S, Chirawatkul A, Rojanasuphot S. Failure of high-dose methylprednisolone in established dengue shock syndrome: a placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Pediatrics. Jul 1993;92(1):111-5. [Medline].

  15. World Health Organization. Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever: Diagnosis, Treatment and Control. World Health Org; 1986:1-2.

Further Reading

Keywords

breakbone fever, ki denga pepo, mosquito-transmitted viral disease, febrile syndrome, bleeding diathesis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, DIC, dengue hemorrhagic fever, DHF, dengue shock syndrome, DSS, dengue viral infections, dengue fever

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Daniel D Price, MD, Director of Ultrasound Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Highland General Hospital, Alameda County Medical Center
Daniel D Price, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Sharon R Wilson, MD, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at Davis Medical Center
Sharon R Wilson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of University Women, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

William K Chiang, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine; Chief of Service, Department of Emergency Medicine, Bellevue Hospital Center
William K Chiang, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, American College of Medical Toxicology, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Barry J Sheridan, DO, Chief, Department of Emergency Medical Services, Brooke Army Medical Center
Barry J Sheridan, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Barry E Brenner, MD, PhD, FACEP, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Professor of Internal Medicine, Program Director, Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals, Case Medical Center
Barry E Brenner, MD, PhD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Heart Association, American Thoracic Society, Arkansas Medical Society, New York Academy of Medicine, New York Academy of Sciences, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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