Clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics of patients with dengue fever at Hospital Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión in Callao during the 2023 epidemic outbreak

Caytuiro B.E.G.; Arcaya D.A.C.; Ugás A.F.O.; García S.M.M.; Camarena C.W.C. · Horizonte Medico (2026) · DOI: 10.24265/horizmed.2026.v26n1.02

Resumen

Objective: To describe the clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory characteristics of patients diagnosed with dengue fever upon admission to Hospital Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión in Callao during the 2023 outbreak. Materials and methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted. Patients admitted through the Emergency Department with a confirmed diagnosis of dengue by serologic or molecular testing were included. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, and laboratory results recorded at admission were collected. Clinical severity was classified as dengue without warning signs, dengue with warning signs, or severe dengue at discharge. Associations between clinical and laboratory parameters and the degree of severity were evaluated using nonparametric statistical tests. Results: A total of 123 patients with a mean age of 31.5 years were analyzed; 59.3% were female. The most frequent symptoms were fever (89.4%), malaise (61.8%), and nausea/vomiting (51.2%). The mean platelet count was 129,102/μL, with more pronounced thrombocytopenia observed in severe cases. The presence of reactive lymphocytes on peripheral blood smear was more frequent among patients with dengue with warning signs and severe dengue (p < 0.05). A trend toward elevated transaminase and creatinine levels was observed with increasing clinical severity. Conclusions: This study represents one of the first systematic descriptions of the dengue outbreak in Callao in the context of the Coastal El Niño phenomenon. The findings suggest that the presence of reactive lymphocytes on peripheral blood smear may serve as a useful and low-cost hematological marker to identify patients at risk of clinical progression, particularly in resource-limited settings. The likelihood of new outbreaks in the coming years remains high due to climate change; in this context, secondary dengue infections may increase the frequency of severe disease forms in future outbreaks.