Anesthetic management of a pregnant patient with dengue hemorrhagic fever for emergency cesarean section

Dengue fever is the most common and widespread insect-borne viral infection worldwide. The most critical phase of this viral infection is the defervescent phase when the fever subsides but the patient develops life-threatening thrombocytopenia due to complement activation by viral antigens binding to platelets. We have outlined the anesthetic management of a 25-year-old primigravida with dengue hemorrhagic fever who needed to undergo emergency cesarean section. We also describe this illness in brief and compare the anesthetic management to that of preeclampsia and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet syndrome which this disease mimics. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.