Speakers - 2024

Biography

Dr. Curitana studied Bachelor of Science with a Major in Biology at Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines, in 2011 and graduated with a with a Doctor of Medicine from Saint Louis University in Baguio City, Philippines, in 2016. He finished his specialty training in internal medicine at the Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, in 2023. He is currently practicing as an internist in a rural province in the Philippines.

Abstract

Dengue is the most important of the human arboviral infections and the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. It occurs in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and is an all-year-round disease in the Philippines. In 2020, the Philippines reported 83,155 dengue cases and 324 deaths. Dengue infection is a systemic and dynamic disease with a wide spectrum of clinical features, from asymptomatic or mild infections to severe organ dysfunctions to potentially life-threatening. Severe dengue is a life-threatening event. There are various atypical presentations of dengue fever. Abdominal pain is a common symptom of dengue infection and is the major symptom of acute pancreatitis. Pain may vary from mild discomfort to severe, constant, and incapacitating distress. The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is generally defined based on a combination of laboratory, imaging, and clinical symptoms. This rare complication makes the diagnosis and treatment very challenging and impacts the patient’s survival. There are 18 reported cases of dengue complicated with pancreatitis in the worldwide literature, and there is no published literature related to acute pancreatitis or severe dengue in the Philippines. We report the first and unusual case of acute pancreatitis and acute kidney injury complicating severe dengue in the Philippines in a 22-year-old male who presented with undocumented febrile episodes associated with abdominal pain. It is critical that physicians who monitor dengue illnesses be aware of and alert to these atypical manifestations. The key to successfully managing patients with dengue infection and lowering the probability of medical complications or death due to severe dengue is early recognition and anticipatory treatment.