Is fresh frozen plasma effective for thrombocytopenia in adults with dengue fever?
Rationale Thrombocytopenia is a common problem which causes concern and complications in dengue fever. If proven effective, intravenous fresh frozen plasma is a simple and widely available therapeutic option to manage thrombocytopenia. Objective To test the efficacy of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) on thrombocytopenia in patients with dengue fever. Design 109 serologically confirmed dengue patients with platelet counts 3 were randomised into two groups. Group A (treatment) comprised 53 patients and group B (control) 56 patients. Group A received an intravenous infusion of 3 units (600ml) of FFP over 90 minutes. Group B received an intravenous infusion of an equal volume of isotonic saline over the same period. The primary outcome measure was the difference between pre- and post-interventional platelet counts at 12, 24 and 48 hours. Results Following Intervention, the mean platelet count was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B at 12 hours (p=0.04; t-test). The mean platelet coun
