CORRELATION OF SERUM CALCIUM WITH SEVERITY OF DENGUE AMONG DENGUE PATIENTS ADMITTED IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE OF EASTERN INDIA

Authors: Dr. Subhash Chandra Dash*, Dr. Aiswarya Joshi, Dr. Sandeep Kumar Ratha, Dr. Sumita Sharma

DOI:

DOI: DOI.ORG/10.59551/IJHMP/25832069/2026.7.2.147

ABSTRACT:

The virus that spreads by vectors most quickly in the globe is dengue fever. If dengue infection is not treated quickly and effectively, the morbidity and fatality rate is very high. Nearly 80% of dengue infections had low calcium levels, which are particularly common in severe cases. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of research on calcium homeostasis in dengue infection, While existing recommendations overlook the importance of blood calcium in dengue management, our research demonstrates that serum calcium levels are directly tied to how severely the virus impacts the patient.

Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Medicine, IMS and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The study is included 150 patients diagnosed with Dengue disease by NS1 or Dengue IgM. All thepatients were categorised into 4 groups named DF, DHF 1, DHF 2, DHF 3 and DHF 4. Again, patients were classified in to 3 groups such as mild, moderate and severe hypocalcaemia based on serum calcium level.

Observation: The study population (mean age of 39.1 years with 12.44 SD) exhibited a 2:1 male-to-female distribution. Clinical observations revealed a progressive decline in serum calcium as disease severity increased: patients with Dengue Fever (DF) averaged 8.93 mg/dL, while those with DHF grades 1–2 and DHF grade 3 showed lower levels of 8.35 mg/ dL and 7.98 mg/dL, respectively. With an average platelet count of 1.4 lakh/mm³ and a hematocrit of 44.27%, the data confirmed a strong negative correlation (r = -0.892) between calcium concentration and the severity of the infection.

Conclusion: The severity of dengue infection and serum calcium level were found to be significant negative correlation in the current study. Thus, blood calcium level may be used as Identifying this specific biomarker could streamline the diagnosis and treatment of high-risk dengue patients, though additional studies are necessary to verify its effectiveness.

KEYWORDS: Serum Calcium, Hypocalcemia, Dengue, Severity of Dengue, Correlation. 

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