Dengue in Children: A Scoping Review

Introduction: The risk of dengue has expanded in terms of population size as well as its geographical distribution. Despite advances in pediatric critical care, dengue continues to be a challenging illness, affecting all ages and with a spectrum ranging from asymptomatic to fatal disease. Objectives: This article provides an in-depth narrative review of the latest dengue epidemiology, the current understanding of pathogenesis, clinical and laboratory diagnosis, management and prevention. The analysis has been drawn from a comprehensive review of recent research articles related to these topics. Conclusion: The management strategies for the critically ill have improved in recent years with attention to early risk stratification and judicious use of intravenous fluids and blood products. However, despite the increasing burden of dengue illness with every year, knowledge gaps remain in applicability of new biomarkers and development of therapeutics and universally acceptable vaccines.