Dengue patients in public ICUs arrive in more serious condition, study finds

Adults with dengue in public hospital intensive care units were more seriously ill on arrival than those in private hospitals.

In the study, 22.4% of public-hospital patients needed drugs to support blood pressure in their first day of intensive care, compared with 5.3% in private hospitals.

Researchers said longer waits to reach intensive care could help explain the difference, but the study did not track how long patients waited.

The findings point to the importance of timely care for people with severe dengue.