Dengue Shock Syndrome Symptoms and Treatment

Dengue is a common mosquito-borne disease. In some cases, dengue progresses and becomes fatal. Dengue shock syndrome, also known as severe dengue or dengue hemorrhagic fever, is a complication of dengue that causes hemorrhaging or bleeding inside the body. However, as of 2009, these terms have been replaced with a newer classification. Here are the dengue shock syndrome symptoms and treatments.

Types of Dengue

Currently, dengue is classified into three types:

In patients with dengue that manifest without warning signs, the most typical symptoms are:

• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache or pain behind the eyes
• Muscle or joint pain
• Rashes

There is no specific treatment for dengue but adequate hydration and supportive medication for fever and pain, like paracetamol, are helpful.

Dengue Shock Syndrome Symptoms and Treatment: What To Watch Out For

If the immune system can no longer fight off the dengue virus and stop it from replicating, the virus spreads throughout the bloodstream and into the organs. The virus then causes the cells of the organs to become permeable, which results in fluid leaking out of the organs.

During the time when the fevers stop (typically around 3-7 days after the illness began), the person with dengue enters the critical phase.  This is the period wherein the virus causes the blood vessels to be more permeable which causes fluids to leak out causing shock and organ damage. Bleeding can also occur. This phase usually lasts 24-48 hours.

Signs that a person might be having severe dengue are:

Shock

• Unstable blood pressure
• Skin becomes cool
• Rapid weak pulse or very fast or very faint heartbeat
• Blue discoloration of the lips or around the mouth (circumoral cyanosis)

Fluid accumulation

• Breathing rate may speed up or be more difficult

Profuse bleeding

• This is to be determined by a doctor and does not include self-limiting bleeding of the gums or nose.

Impaired consciousness

• This may be due to blood loss, high fever, or dehydration.
• Mood changes like irritability and confusion may occur before loss of consciousness.

Organ damage

• Abdominal pain can be an indicator of liver involvement.

At this point, if the person does not receive proper treatment, their illness will likely worsen and become life-threatening in the next few days.

Symptoms of severe dengue also include:

• Severe pain in the stomach or abdomen
• Vomiting, frequently or with blood
• Restlessness
• Feeling weak and tired
• Breathing rapidly
• Nosebleeds (epistaxis)
• Bleeding in the gums
• Bleeding under the skin
• Vaginal bleeding and intracranial bleeding in severe cases

When a patient starts to bleed a lot within the body, this can further aggravate the fluid leakage and shock. Following this, the organs no longer receive oxygen. Multiple organs may stop functioning properly, which can result in death.

Dengue Shock Syndrome Symptoms and Management: What To Expect

The severity of dengue varies from one patient to another. When a person starts manifesting with warning signs, they must be admitted and closely monitored.  When signs and symptoms of severe dengue are present, they should be immediately brought to the emergency room.

Hospital Treatment

Once the person arrives at the hospital, medical professionals will take the necessary steps to address dengue shock syndrome symptoms. These include:

• Immediate replacement of plasma loss. When a person

Key Takeaway

Dengue can become severe and progress to bleeding, shock, and possibly death. Dengue shock syndrome involves bleeding in the organs, which may eventually lead to multiple organ dysfunction. At this stage, it is extremely important to seek emergency medical treatment as home remedies are not enough to address severe dengue.

Learn more about Infectious Diseases here.