Description

Kawasaki disease causes swelling, called inflammation, in the walls of small and medium-sized blood vessels that carry the blood throughout the body. Kawasaki disease most often affects the arteries of the heart in children. The arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Kawasaki disease is sometimes called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. That's because it also causes swelling of the glands, called lymph nodes, and the mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose, eyes and throat.

Children with Kawasaki disease may have high fever, swelling of hands and feet peeling of the skin, and the red eyes and the tongue. But Kawasaki disease is often treatable. With treatment, most children do better and have no long-lasting problems.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Kawasaki disease include fever greater than 102.2 ° Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius) for five or more days. And the child has at least four of the following symptoms.

  • A rash on the main part of the body or in the genital area.
  • An enlargement of the lymph nodes in the neck.
  • Very redness of the eyes without a thick discharge.
  • Red, dry, cracked lips and a red, swollen tongue.
  • Swelling, redness of the skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. After the skin in the fingers of hands and feet, peels.

The symptoms might not happen at the same time. Let your child's healthcare provider knows about a symptom that is gone.

Other symptoms may include:

  • Belly pain.
  • The diarrhea.
  • Irritability.
  • Pain in the joints.
  • Vomiting.

Some children get a high fever for five days or more, but less than four of the symptoms required for the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease. You can have what's called an incomplete Kawasaki disease. Children with incomplete Kawasaki disease are still at risk of damage to the arteries of the heart. They still need treatment within 10 days of when symptoms appear.

Kawasaki disease can have symptoms similar to those of a condition called inflammatory syndrome multisystem in children. The syndrome occurs in children with COVID-19.

When to see a doctor

If your child has a fever that lasts for more than three days, contact your child's health care professional. The treatment of Kawasaki disease in the period of 10 days from when you started, you can reduce the risk of permanent damage to the arteries that supply the heart.

Causes

No one knows what causes Kawasaki disease. But experts do not believe that the disease spreads from person to person. Some people think that the Kawasaki disease occurs after a viral or bacterial infection, or that is linked to factors in the environment. Certain genes can make children more likely to get the disease of Kawasaki.

Risk factors

Three things that are known to increase a child's risk of developing Kawasaki disease.

  • Age. Children under 5 years of age are at higher risk of Kawasaki disease.
  • Sex. Children who are assigned male at birth are slightly more likely to get the disease of Kawasaki.
  • The ethnic origin. Children of Asian or Pacific islanders have higher rates of Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease tends to occur in the season. In North America and in countries with climates, it most commonly occurs in the winter and early spring.

Complications

Kawasaki disease is one of the main causes of heart disease in children living in developed countries. But, with treatment, some children have lasting damage.

Complications of the heart include:

  • The inflammation of the blood vessels, most often in the arteries that carry blood to the heart.
  • Inflammation of the heart muscle.
  • Heart valve problems.

Any of these complications can damage the heart. The inflammation of the arteries of the heart can weaken them and cause a bulge in the wall of the artery called an aneurysm. Aneurysms increase the risk of blood clots. These can lead to a heart attack or cause bleeding inside the body.

Rarely, for children who have artery of the heart of the problems, Kawasaki disease can cause death.

Diagnosis

There is No single test to diagnose Kawasaki disease. The diagnosis involves ruling out other diseases that can cause the same symptoms. These diseases include:

  • Scarlet fever.
  • Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Stevens-Johnson syndrome — a disorder of the mucous membranes.
  • The toxic shock syndrome.
  • Measles.
  • Some diseases caused by ticks, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

A member of your child's health care team will do an exam and order blood and urine tests to help in the diagnosis. Tests may include:

  • Blood tests. Blood tests may help rule out other diseases and verification of the count of blood cells. A high white blood cell count, anemia and inflammation are signs of Kawasaki disease.
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This quick test checks the electrical activity of the heart. It is shown how the heart is beating. Sticky patches called electrodes are attached to the chest and, at times, the arms or the legs. The cables connect the patches to a computer. The computer prints or displays the results. An EKG can be used to diagnose an irregular heartbeat. Kawasaki disease can cause heart rhythm problems.
  • The echocardiogram. This test uses sound waves to create images of the heart in motion. See how blood flows through the heart and the heart valves. An echocardiogram shows how well your heart is working.. Also can help you to see problems with the arteries of the heart.

Treatment

It is best to start the treatment for Kawasaki disease as soon as possible when your child has a fever. The treatment for Kawasaki disease often occurs in a hospital. The goals of treatment are to reduce fever, reduce inflammation and prevent the damage in the heart.

Medicine

The treatment for Kawasaki disease may include:

  • Gamma globulin.A protein called gamma globulin is administered through a vein. This treatment reduces inflammation in the blood vessels. You can reduce the risk of problems with the artery of the heart. With the treatment, a child can begin to improve soon after, a gamma globulin treatment. Without treatment, the disease of Kawasaki lasts about 12 days. However, the complications of the heart may take more time. After receiving gamma globulin, wait for a minimum of 11 months to get a vaccine of live viruses, such as chickenpox or the measles vaccine. The gamma globulin may affect the effectiveness of these vaccines work.
  • The aspirin.High doses of aspirin may help treat the inflammation. Aspirin may also decrease pain, swelling of the joints, and fever. The dose of aspirin is likely to be reduced once the fever has been gone for 48 hours. For most other conditions, aspirin should not be given to children. Aspirin has been associated with Reye's syndrome, a rare life-threatening condition, in children or teenagers who have the flu or chickenpox. A health professional needs to monitor to give aspirin to children with Kawasaki disease. Children who get the flu or chicken pox during the treatment you may need to stop taking aspirin.

Gamma globulin. A protein called gamma globulin is administered through a vein. This treatment reduces inflammation in the blood vessels. You can reduce the risk of problems with the artery of the heart.

With the treatment, a child can begin to improve soon after, a gamma globulin treatment. Without treatment, the disease of Kawasaki lasts about 12 days. However, the complications of the heart may take more time.

After receiving gamma globulin, wait for a minimum of 11 months to get a vaccine of live viruses, such as chickenpox or the measles vaccine. The gamma globulin may affect the effectiveness of these vaccines work.

The aspirin. High doses of aspirin may help treat the inflammation. Aspirin may also decrease pain, swelling of the joints, and fever. The dose of aspirin is likely to be reduced once the fever has been gone for 48 hours.

For most other conditions, aspirin should not be given to children. Aspirin has been associated with Reye's syndrome, a rare life-threatening condition, in children or teenagers who have the flu or chickenpox.

A health professional needs to monitor to give aspirin to children with Kawasaki disease. Children who get the flu or chicken pox during the treatment you may need to stop taking aspirin.

After the first treatment

Once the fever goes down, a child may need to take a low dose of aspirin for at least six weeks. This can be longer if there are problems with the artery of the heart. Aspirin helps to prevent blood clotting.

With the treatment, a child can begin to improve soon after, a gamma globulin treatment. Without treatment, the disease of Kawasaki lasts about 12 days. However, heart problems may last longer.

Seeing the problems of the heart

If your child has any signs of heart problems, your healthcare provider may suggest follow-up tests to check your child's heart health. The tests are often made of 6 to 8 weeks after the onset of the disease, and then again after six months.

If the heart problems continue, your child might be sent to a specialist who treats diseases of the heart in children, called to a pediatric cardiologist. Treatment for the heart, the issues related to Kawasaki disease depends on the type of heart disease.

Coping and support

Find out all you can about Kawasaki disease, so that you can make good decisions with your child's healthcare team about treatment.

Most often, children who have been treated for Kawasaki get well quickly and return to their usual activities. If the heart of your child has been affected, talk with the cardiologist pediatrician about if you need to restrict the activities of your child.

Preparing for your appointment

It is likely that you first consult your family health practitioner or pediatrician. Sometimes, children with Kawasaki disease consult a doctor with special training in the heart, bones, and joints, disorders or infectious diseases. A doctor who treats children with heart problems is called a pediatric cardiologist. A rheumatologist treats children with bone and joint disorders.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

Take someone with you to the appointment if you can. A family member or a friend can take notes and help you remember all the information they give you.

Make a list of:

  • The symptoms of his son, and when they began. Include any that do not appear to be linked to Kawasaki disease. Try to keep track of how tall your child's fever has been and how long it has lasted.
  • All the medications, vitamins, or supplements your child takes, including doses.
  • Write questions to ask your child's healthcare provider.

Kawasaki disease, some questions are:

  • What is the most likely cause of the symptoms of my son?
  • There are other possible causes of the symptoms?
  • Does my child need a test?
  • How long do the symptoms last?
  • What treatments are there? What do you suggest?
  • How can I make my child more comfortable?
  • Can you give Me brochures or other printed information? What websites do you suggest?

Be sure to ask all the questions that you have.

What to expect from your doctor

Your child's healthcare provider will likely ask you questions, such as:

  • How bad are the symptoms? How high is the fever of his son been? How long did it last?
  • What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
  • What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
  • Has your child been around people with infectious diseases?
  • Does your child have allergies?
Symptoms and treatment of Kawasaki disease