A study done in Singapore confirmed that giving platelets in dengue fever does not help. The platelet count does not change much after a platelet transfusion.
In fact, the study found that patients who received platelets had a longer hospital stay and more complications.
What really matters in dengue
Deaths in dengue fever do occur, but they normally do not occur due to bleeding. They occur due to multi-organ failure, which should be treated urgently.
Platelet transfusions, on the other hand, can cause serious side effects in a minority of patients, including acute lung injury, which can be fatal.