Doxycycline in Hospitalized Patients with Dengue

Objective: The objective was to determine whether individuals who received doxycycline had a shorter hospitalization time. Methods: A retrospective, observational, and comparative study was conducted with 64 patients diagnosed with dengue. One group received standard symptomatic treatment, while the other also received doxycycline (initial dose of 200 mg, followed by 100 mg every 12 hours until discharge). Clinical and laboratory variables were compared. Results: Compared to patients who received only the standard treatment, patients treated with doxycycline had a shorter hospitalization time (26.30 ± 13.72 vs 93.18 ± 25.29 h, p<0.0001), hours of fever (13.79 ± 16.18 vs 127.08 ± 51.22, p<0.0001), headache (16.30 ± 19.27 vs 94.59 ± 26.11, p<0.0001), and myalgia (23.94 ± 10.90 vs 120.24 ± 25.20, p<0.0001). Furthermore, the doxycycline group exhibited a higher platelet recovery rate (0.54 ± 0.49 vs 0.23 ± 0.29, p=0.003) than the other group. No adverse effects were reported. Despite limitations (sample size and lack of randomization), the findings suggest that doxycycline would be a promising and useful therapeutic alternative in the management of dengue. Conclusion: The use of doxycycline in dengue treatment was associated with a reduction in hospitalization time, duration of symptoms, and a higher platelet recovery rate.