Long lines and waiting. Most of the consultations in the guards are for dengue: how they make the diagnosisBy Alejandro Horvat

In the guard of Rivadavia Hospitalin José Andrés Pacheco de Melo and Austria, the line to get in went around the corner. Many were leaning against the wall, sitting on the floor and hugging a bottle of water. That was the case of Lucila Vázquez, 35 years old, who was totally despondent because she had dengue, or at least that’s what she believed. Her boyfriend, with whom she lives, was diagnosed with the disease a week ago.

“My boyfriend had a very bad time. She spent four days with a fever of 39, vomiting, her soul hurt. Now I feel very bad. I’m sure there are dengue mosquitoes around the house and they bit me too. From what I see here, I have a while until they take care of me,” Vázquez lamented.

In the public hospitals of the cityAccording to the Buenos Aires Ministry of Health, although they do not have an exact percentage, they indicated that “Most of the consultations in the guards are for symptoms compatible with dengue”, and that everyone, although there may be exceptions, undergoes a PCR and blood test to confirm or rule out the diagnosis.

When faced with suspected cases of dengue, the guards perform a blood test and a PCR test on patients.Pilar Camacho

In the city of Buenos Aires, from epidemiological week 27, which began in June of last year, until January 1 of this year, the registered cases of dengue were only 60. However, from January to date, that The number grew exponentially: the last epidemiological bulletin reported 5,610 infected, of which three died.

The most serious conditions, formerly known as dengue hemorrhagic fever, can be fatal if not recognized or treated properly. Those people who were previously affected by one of the four serotypes and become infected with a different one can develop them.

What was observed today by THE NATION In the Buenos Aires guards it has its correlation in other districts, since Argentina is going through an epidemic that is already historic, with more than 100,000 cases confirmed by laboratory so far this year. This weekend, in the triage of the guards at public and private centers in the metropolitan area of ​​Buenos Aires (AMBA) – which includes the city and the Buenos Aires suburbs – up to 80% of the consultations were being associated with dengue. All provinces are confirming cases, although there is active circulation of the dengue virus in 19, compared to 12 at this time last year.

At the same time, the situation is also worsening with the epidemic in Brazil, Bolivia and a greater number of cases of infections transmitted by the Temples of the Egyptians in the region. This would increase the demand for care in neighboring Argentine localities due to “an exponential increase in cases, with complicated situations in patient care” in those countries, as analyzed in provinces in the northwest and northeast of Argentina.

Josefina Gómez, 45, was leaving the Rivadavia Hospital, where she also arrived due to having symptoms compatible with dengue. “Everything hurts,” said Gómez, who had undergone a blood test to confirm or rule out the condition.

“I have diabetes and when I feel so bad I get scared. The truth is that I had a high fever, now I’m better because take paracetamol. They told me that the blood test will reveal whether I have dengue or not,” described Gómez, who went to look for a taxi to return home to rest.

According to the City Ministry of Health, people who have compatible symptoms are treated as a suspected case of dengue and undergo a blood test and a PCR test. “Meanwhile, the alert guidelines and controls are indicated every 48 hours. This is generally the case, of course, there may be exceptions,” they indicated from the portfolio that leads Fernan Quiros.

Posters on guards warned of the lack of PCR tests, but the city affirms that it has already been solvedPilar Camacho

Not far from there, in the Fernandez Hospital, there was also a line to enter the guard. Cases compatible with dengue are treated on call, while those already diagnosed have a specific unit where controls are carried out. At the guard today there was a sign that indicated that on this day no dengue controls or tests were going to be carried out, however, the Buenos Aires Ministry of Health indicated that the situation has already normalized.

At the Ricardo Gutiérrez General Children’s Hospital, the infectious disease ward is located on General Lucio Norberto Mansilla Street. There Marcos Martín, 24 years old, was waiting in line to enter. He was also convinced he was infected with the dengue virus. “In addition to the fever, it hurts a lot behind my eyes; I move my eyes and it hurts, I’m backwards. I hope they take care of me quickly,” exclaimed Martín, who had a large bottle of a sports drink to stay well hydrated.

The infectious disease guard at the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s HospitalPilar Camacho

“We were very far-sighted at Gutiérrez. At the end of January we opened the dengue clinics because we believed that cases were going to increase significantly. We choose the infectious disease area, where We opened six dengue clinics, three for diagnosis and three for follow-up. There, we are seeing around 80 children and adolescents per day of which more than 65% have laboratory-confirmed dengue,” he told THE NATION Eduardo López, head of the Department of Medicine at the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital.

However, this dengue epidemic does not only put pressure on the guards of the public sector. Sofía Steinberg, 43, told THE NATION his visit to the guard of a private clinic due to the symptoms that his 10-year-old daughter was presenting.

“On Thursday we called social work because my daughter had symptoms of dengue. We asked for a doctor at home but she never came. Then we went to the Zabala Clinic and they did a complete blood test, the result of which was within two hours. They also did a PCR that took a few days. Talking to people in the guard, the majority had dengue, or at least with symptoms compatible with dengue,” Steinberg told THE NATION.

At the Rivadavia Hospital, this morning the lines went around the cornerPilar Camacho

While at the German Hospital in Buenos Aires, as reported to this media, there was a 50% increase in consultations for dengue, which then ended up being diagnosed through three different methods.

“Depending on the evolution of the condition, a dengue antigen (ns1), a dengue PCR test, or dengue antibodies (IgM or IgG) are used through a blood test. Until the fifth day of the illness, the antigen or PCR is used, after the fifth day the antibody test is performed,” explained Cristian Esteban Acosta, specialist in internal medicine and emergency medicine and coordinator of the emergency center at the German Hospital.

At the Argentine Institute of Diagnosis and Treatment, located in Barrio Norte, the demand for patients with dengue symptoms to undergo the corresponding blood test was also high this morning, according to what was found THE NATION in the place. There were not enough chairs in the on-call offices or in the laboratory.

Likewise, sources from the Mater Dei Sanatorium indicated to this medium that consultations linked to conditions compatible with dengue represent 16% of the total cases that reach the guard. And they warned that they had to reinforce the medical staff to provide correct care. “We have a record of inquiries,” they revealed.

Alexander Horvat

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