To find out role of serum ferritin levels as an early predictor of severity of dengue-an observational study

Background: Ferritin is an acute-phase reactant and highly expressed by cells of the reticulo-endothelial system in response to infection and inflammation. Hyperferritinaemia is a hallmark of diseases characterized by extensive immune activation such as malignancy or viral infection, including dengue. Aims and Objectives: To find out if serum ferritin levels can predict the severity of dengue early. Material and Methods: Study design: This was a single centre, prospective observational study done on 50 patients with positive NS1Ag or dengue antibody serology Ig-M and are admitted in Paediatric ward or in Paediatric ICU during study period (December 2019 - May 2021) in tertiary care centre, Karad. Enrolled patients underwent serum ferritin level analysis at time of admission. Serum ferritin levels were later compared with the severity of the dengue disease (According to WHO dengue classification 2009). Statistical Analysis: Data was analyzed using computer software, SPSS-v21, DeLong et al (1988) and Binomial exact. Data was expressed in frequency and percentage as well as mean and standard deviation. A p<0.05 was taken as significant