Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) has 3 phases, namely the febrile, critical, and recovery phases. These three phases of dengue fever are very important to understand so that optimal treatment can be carried out.
The dengue virus infects humans through the bite of a female mosquito Aedes aegypti and Aedes Albopictus. If not treated properly, dengue fever can cause bleeding which can lead to shock and death.
phase-Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Phase
Patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever will usually experience 3 phases, ranging from symptoms appearing for the first time to recovery. Here are the three phases of dengue fever:
febrile phase (febrile phase)
In this phase, the patient will experience a high fever of up to 40º Celsius which lasts for 2-7 days. In addition, patients will also experience several other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, headache, sore throat, reddish spots appear on the skin, and muscle, bone, and joint pain.
In this phase, the doctor will monitor the number of platelets (platelets), because the platelet count usually decreases rapidly to less than 100,000/microliter of blood. This decrease in the number of platelets occurs in a short time, which is 2-3 days.
critical phase (ccritical phase)
After passing the febrile phase, many patients feel that they have recovered as their body temperature begins to drop. In fact, this is precisely the most dangerous phase of dengue fever, because it is possible for bleeding and leakage of blood plasma to occur which will cause shock and potentially life threatening.
The critical phase can occur 3-7 days after fever and lasts for 24-48 hours. In this phase, the patient's body fluids must be monitored closely. The patient should not be dehydrated or excess fluid.
In some cases, the patient may experience shock or a drastic drop in blood pressure, as well as bleeding into the skin, nose, and gums. If not treated immediately, this condition can lead to death.
Phase precovery (rrecovery phase)
After passing the critical phase, the patient will enter the recovery phase. This phase will occur 48-72 hours after the critical phase.
In this phase, the fluid that comes out of the blood vessels will re-enter the blood vessels. Therefore, it is very important to keep the incoming fluid from being excessive. Excess fluid in the blood vessels can cause death from heart failure and pulmonary edema.
Platelet levels will also increase rapidly until it reaches a figure of about 150,000/microliter of blood, until then it returns to normal levels.
In the treatment of DHF, there is actually no specific treatment that can be given. Patients are only advised to get plenty of rest and drink lots of water to prevent dehydration. If necessary, the doctor will give fluids through an IV. In addition, the doctor will also give fever-reducing medication to relieve fever.
During the phases of dengue fever above, the patient's condition must continue to be monitored. If there are complaints in the form of shortness of breath, cold sweat, or bleeding occurs, immediately go to the emergency room at the nearest hospital.