[Neurological complications of dengue fever in adults at Ouagadougou university hospitals during the 2023 epidemic in Burkina Faso].

INTRODUCTION

The most recent dengue epidemic in Burkina Faso in 2023 resulted in the highest morbidity and mortality rates in Africa. Neurological complications of dengue are associated with high mortality rates. This study investigated these complications in adults hospitalized at the Ouagadougou University Hospital during the 2023 dengue epidemic in Burkina Faso.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

This cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive, and analytical study examined confirmed cases of dengue fever in adults hospitalized from January 1 to December 31, 2023, at the University Hospitals of Ouagadougou. We analyzed the frequency of dengue fever-related neurological complications and the sociodemographic, clinical, paraclinical, and intra-hospital data of these patients. A bivariate analysis, followed by a multivariate study using multiple logistic regression, identified factors associated with in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 1,057 patients were hospitalized with dengue fever in Ouagadougou's university hospitals during the epidemic period. Of these patients, 116 (11%) presented with neurological complications. The mean age of these patients was 47.6 years, and 51.7% were female. The most frequently found neurological clinical signs were impaired consciousness (84.5%), epileptic seizures (20.7%), and psycho-behavioral disorders (14.6%). The neurological complications encountered were encephalopathies (7.8%), probably dengue-related encephalitis (0.8%), strokes (0.7%), and Guillain-Barré syndrome (0.1%). The in-hospital mortality rate was 69% (80 patients), and acute renal failure was the only independent factor associated with it (OR = 3.49; p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

In Burkina Faso, the neurological complications of dengue are primarily multifactorial encephalopathies, which are associated with a high mortality rate. Screening patients with severe dengue early and admitting them to intensive care or resuscitation units (particularly those with neurological signs) would improve their prognosis.