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Abstract

D engue Fever emerged as major problem in the Philippines and in endemic countries across the world. The absence of chemotherapeutic agents against Dengue virus generated interest on the use of Euphorbia hirta , a folk remedy, in Dengue management. This study aims to document the use of Euphorbia hirta among Dengue patients and to determine differences in platelet, WBC counts between subjects who had taken Euphorbia hirta preparation in comparison to those who did not. This non-concurrent cohort study included forty-six subjects who had taken Euphorbia hirta (cohort ) and 47 subjects as the control group. Focused group discussion (FGD) on the use of Euphorbia hirta was done. Clinical manifestations, platelet, hematocrit, white blood cell counts and demographic information were extracted from hospital records. The course of illness of subjects has conformed with the classical pattern of Dengue fever. The FGD revealed varied use of Euphorbia hirta among the cohort. Mean platelet, WBC counts did not show statistically significant differences between the groups ( t-test >0.05) when controlled for day of illness. However, the percentage change between the groups differed. The expected initial drop in platelet was 2 to 3 times slower and the expected rise beginning day 5 to 6 were twice greater in the cohort compared to the control group. The beneficial effect of Euphorbia hirta rests on the degree of change in platelet levels experienced by the subjects. This study paves the way for further analytic studiessuch that the conformed usage of Euphorbia hirta ?s medical properties can be documentedand might be standardized for practical application.

Biography

Georgina T. Paredes completed her medical degree at the University of the East, Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERMMMC), Philippines,in 1973. She obtained her DTMH and MPH from the Incorporated School of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, University of Liverpool(UK,1986) and the Braun School of Public Health, Hebrew University(Jerusalem, 1988) respectively. She was former Dean of Medicine, director of research at UERMMMC. She is currently a full professor in Preventive and Community Medicine. Serves as consultant for research projects at UERMMMC, Department of Health and Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.She has published more than 20 papers in reputed journals and has made research presentations in various conferences.