A profile of total leukocyte count in acute febrile illness

Abstract

Fever is one of the common illness in the adults during the monsoon season with variable cause such as bacterial, viral, protozoal, autoimmune, malignancy, etc.
Patients may usually present with fever associated with chills and rigors, cough with expectoration, headache, myalgia, vomiting, loose stool, dehydration, etc. estimation of total leukocyte count on admission helps in prognostication and is useful to proceed in aggressive approach.
Aim
To study on usefulness on admission total leukocyte count in acute febrile illness and their importance in prognostication.
Materials and methods
An observational, retrospective study was conducted in tertiary care hospital in Chennai Saveetha Medical College and Hospital during monsoon season August– October 2017. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected and analysed for each patient.
Results
Total number of patients enrolled were 115 out of which Men 66 (57%) and the age group was between 18 to 30 years comprised the large proportion of the cases with total of 55 (48%). The most common symptoms were fever with myalgia 63(55%), Abdominal pain 21(18%), Headache 11 (10%), Breathlessness 9 (8%), Burning micturition 7(6%), Vomiting 4(3%). The common diagnosis Undifferentiated fever 46(39%), Dengue 24(20%), Fever with thrombocytopenia 12(10%), Malaria 8(7%), UTI 7(6%), Tuberculosis 6(5%), Scrub 4(3%), Leptospirosis 4 (3%), Pneumonia 3(2%), Entric 3(2%), Thyrotoxicosis 1(1%), Dengue with Leptospirosis 1(1%).
Conclusion
The similarity in clinical presentation and etiological agents demonstrates the complexity of diagnosis and treatment of acute febrile illness. The study of clinic laboratory profile of febrile illness during monsoon was helpful in finding the cause and prompt treatment.