Caring for dengue fever patients without hospitalization

Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a disease caused by the dengue virus which is transmitted mainly through mosquitoes Aedes aegypti . Without proper treatment, dengue fever can develop into a fatal condition. Follow the full review about the treatment of dengue fever or DHF below.

Should DHF patients be hospitalized or can they be treated at home?

Mild dengue fever is generally characterized by a sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscles and joints, loss of appetite, nausea, and a rash on the skin surface. Whereas in severe dengue fever, also known as dengue hemorrhagic fever, can cause serious bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure (in shock), even death.

Basically, there is no one specific type of drug to cure DHF. The reason is, this disease is caused by the dengue virus, which until now has not found an antidote. The treatment and medication given to dengue fever patients is only to control the symptoms and condition of the patient until they recover.

Because of this, your doctor may allow you to do outpatient care at home. However, if you have serious dengue fever, the doctor will definitely ask you to be hospitalized. Remember, only a doctor can make this option after evaluating your condition and blood test results.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hospitalization is necessary for people with serious dengue fever. The problem is, the patient will go through several phases of DHF, including the critical phase for 24 to 48 hours. This period will determine the patient's chances of survival. If at this time the patient is not treated properly, the consequences can be fatal.

Meanwhile, if a serious dengue fever patient is treated at home, he will not get adequate medical assistance. Assistance that is only available in hospitals includes intravenous fluids containing electrolytes, blood pressure monitoring, and blood transfusions if the patient is bleeding. In addition, doctors and nurses are always available at the hospital to monitor and help improve your condition.

Signs of dengue fever that must be hospitalized

Do not underestimate the various features of serious dengue fever. This disease can cause death if treated late or not treated properly. Therefore, DHF patients must be hospitalized when the disease is severe.

Seek emergency medical help immediately if the patient experiences the following signs of serious dengue fever.

• Severe stomach pain
• Constant vomiting
• Breath hunting
• Bleeding in the gums
• The body is very weak
• Vomiting blood
• Unstable body temperature (fever fluctuates)

Treatment of dengue fever (DHF) so that it does not get worse

Treatment of dengue fever patients is tailored to the condition of each patient. If the patient does not experience plasma leakage, dehydration, or other worrisome symptoms, he may seek outpatient care. Meanwhile, if the patient's condition is critical or at risk of experiencing a dangerous condition, hospitalization is recommended.

Whether being treated at home or hospitalized, treatment is needed that can help the recovery process and reduce the symptoms of DHF. This is because there is no specific treatment for DHF, most patients usually recover within 2 weeks.

If you or your family experience symptoms of mild dengue fever, it's good to do the following things as initial treatment to prevent it from getting worse:

1. Consuming large amounts of fluids

Dengue fever patients as much as possible have adequate fluid intake during treatment. The higher the body temperature, the more prone the individual is to become dehydrated. In addition, vomiting can also reduce fluid in the body. If the symptoms of dengue fever don't get treated immediately, you can become dehydrated.

Dehydration is usually characterized by dry mouth or lips, fatigue and confusion, chills, and infrequent urination. Dehydration can be dangerous if not treated immediately, because it can affect the kidneys and brain. In fact, it can have an impact on death.

From water to fruit juices should be consumed by patients. This is intended to prevent dehydration due to fever, as well as to help reduce fever.

In addition, consuming lots of water is also a great way to deal with other symptoms of dengue fever, such as muscle cramps and headaches due to dehydration. Water will also help remove excess toxins in the body to be excreted through urine.

Fulfillment of fluid needs when DHF can be assisted through intravenous fluids. However, this method cannot be done independently, but rather from the actions of the medical team. Intravenous fluids are given to patients with moderate to severe dehydration.

2. Drink ORS

Not only for diarrhea, ORS also meets the fluid needs of people with dengue. ORS is a combination of glucose and sodium. Both can help restore the fluid balance in the body of DHF patients who are mild to moderate dehydration.

People who experience dengue fever and are accompanied by vomiting symptoms can take ORS to replace lost fluids, in addition to consuming lots of water.

3. Taking fever and pain relievers

If a dengue patient is undergoing home treatment, you can use fever and pain relievers to reduce the symptoms of dengue. You can get these medicines at the nearest pharmacy without having to use a doctor's prescription.

Paracetamol can be an option to relieve pain and reduce fever. However, it's also a good idea to consult a doctor to find out which drugs should be consumed.

The reason is, there are several drugs that should not be taken when someone is suffering from dengue fever, such as aspirin or ibuprofen. These drugs can actually increase the risk of bleeding.

4. Eating guava and healthy foods that are easy to digest

For special foods for DHF sufferers, doctors usually recommend easy-to-digest foods such as boiled foods, green vegetables, and fruits. One of the fruits that have been known to be useful for treating dengue fever is guava. Guava contains vitamin C which can help speed up the formation of new platelets.

In dengue fever patients, the platelets in the body are usually below the normal threshold. Guava contains thrombinol which can stimulate thrombopoietin to be more active, so that it can help the body produce more platelets. For this reason, consuming guava can be an effective way to help increase it again.

In addition, guava is rich in quercetin, which is a natural chemical compound that can be found in various types of fruits and vegetables. These compounds are useful for inhibiting the growth of viruses that attack the body, including the dengue virus.

Can the patient drink bottled guava juice for the treatment of dengue fever? Of course you can, as long as you pay attention to the nutritional content in the juice packaging. Make sure the juice does not contain too much sugar or contains very little real guava juice in it.

5. Take supplements and vitamins

Supplements and vitamins are also needed in the treatment of dengue fever. Apart from vegetables and fruits, you can get additional intake of vitamins and minerals that your body needs by taking supplements.

You can choose a good vitamin C supplement to boost the immune system. Apart from vitamin C, zinc is also an important mineral that the body needs to fight dengue fever.

According to an article from International Journal of Preventive Medicine , cases of zinc deficiency in the body are quite common in DHF sufferers. Therefore, adequate zinc intake is very important to help overcome this dengue virus infection.

6. Take complete rest

The easiest way to treat dengue fever is to get complete rest. Rest totally or bed rest highly recommended for dengue patients of any kind. This is done as a way to speed up recovery. Lack of rest will result in dengue fever treatment not working optimally.

In people with DHF, platelet levels are very low and bleeding is very easy. This is why people with dengue fever will usually be asked to rest completely. Strenuous activity is easy to cause bleeding in people with low platelet levels.

Home care for dengue fever patients is only an additional treatment in lieu of being hospitalized. This also cannot be done carelessly and depends on the patient's condition. You still need to consult a doctor to get the best treatment.

7. Using natural remedies

The use of natural ingredients for DHF is also highly recommended in how to treat DHF quickly. There are several traditional medicines that have been clinically tested to help speed up the recovery of DHF patients.

One of them is fermented angkak, aka brown rice from China. A study from the Bogor Agricultural Institute shows that Angkak extract has the potential to increase low platelet levels.

8. Get a blood transfusion

Do patients with dengue fever or dengue need blood transfusion treatment? This depends on the patient's condition.

Doctors are usually very careful before giving transfusions to dengue patients, and not everyone with dengue can be transfused immediately. Not to mention that these transfusions can cause allergic reactions. This will be another problem that can worsen the patient's condition.

The blood used should not be arbitrary. Usually, the transfusion given is a transfusion of platelets or clotting factors. The difference with ordinary blood transfusions is that the patient will only receive certain concentrations or components of blood, which prevents severe bleeding from occurring.

Therefore, usually the way to treat dengue fever by transfusion is only done in inpatients who experience continuous bleeding. When heavy bleeding occurs, platelets will continue to be used by the body to try to stop the bleeding. The use of platelet transfusions in this case is to help the body not to run out of platelet reserves to stop the bleeding that occurs.

Usually the transfusion will be stopped when the bleeding has stopped. After this happens, the patient still needs to rest first and continue with other dengue fever treatment methods.

Prevent dengue fever in the following ways

Prevention is the most effective type of dengue fever treatment. This is because there is no vaccine that can protect the dengue fever virus. Avoiding mosquito bites is one of the best ways to prevent it.

Here are some ways that can be followed to prevent dengue, namely:

• Take the 3M step, which is to drain the water reservoir, bury used goods, and recycle used goods.
• Wear clothes that cover all parts of your body, such as trousers, long-sleeved shirts, and socks. Especially if you travel to the tropics.
• Use a mosquito repellent with a concentration of at least 10 percent diethyltoluamide (DEET), or a higher concentration for longer exposure. Avoid using DEET in children.
• Close the doors and windows of the house when it is late in the afternoon because of mosquitoes Aedes usually hang around a lot at twilight.
• Avoid being outside in the early morning, evening, and night where mosquitoes roam.