Furosemide infusion in children with dengue fever and hypoxemia.

OBJECTIVE

To study the role of furosemide infusion in the management of Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) associated with dengue fever.

METHODS

Children between the ages of 1 month to 18 years, who fulfilled the WHO clinical criteria for dengue infection and American European Consensus Criteria criteria for ARDS with Dengue IgM positivity, were evaluated. Patients were studied as group D (receiving diuretic therapy alone) and group B (both ventilation and diuretics), and compared to a historical control group V (ventilation alone). Furosemide infusion was administered at 0.05-0.1 mg/kg/hour for 48 hours, maintaining a urine output of 2-4 mL/kg/hour.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference in survival in the three groups. Significant difference was noted between pre- and post-intervention arterial blood gases with respect to PCO2 (P=0.02), pO2 (P=0.003), PaO2/FaO2 ratio (P<0.001) and alveolar-arteriolar oxygen gradient (P=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Diuretic infusion improves outcome in dengue with ARDS.