Correlation Between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Length of Hospital Stay in Pediatric Patients with Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever

Abstract

Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a tropical infectious disease that remains a serious global health concern. During the critical phase of the illness, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) decreases, exacerbating the infection and facilitating dengue virus replication in mononuclear blood cells. A lower NLR value is thought to be associated with a longer duration of hospitalization. This study aims to investigate the correlation between NLR and the length of hospitalization in pediatric patients with DHF at Mohammad Hoesin Hospital, Palembang. This study employed an analytical observational cross-sectional design using secondary data collected from August to December 2023. A total of 67 children met the inclusion criteria. The predominant characteristics included age 5–10 years (52.2%), male (47.8%), female (52.2%), DHF grade II (46.3%), and a history of 5 days of fever (44.8%). Bivariate analysis revealed no correlation between NLR and the length of hospitalization in pediatric DHF patients (p=0.068; r=0.224). To conclude, there is no correlation between the NLR value and the duration of hospitalization in pediatric DHF patients at Mohammad Hoesin Hospital, Palembang.