If you are treated early with aspirin and IVIG, there is a 1 percent incidence of these complications. If not treated early, there is a 15 percent to 25 percent incidence of long-term effects involving heart muscle dysfunction or coronary aneurysm. Patients who develop these complications are treated long-term with aspirin and, in general, also do well.
We continue to follow those patients who have coronary artery or heart muscle involvement throughout young adulthood.
How prevalent is it?
That is hard to answer. I know that at Sinai [Hospital], about eight to 10 people are hospitalized each winter and spring.
The disease does have a seasonal prevalence: It is more common in the winter and early spring. It also is much more common in Japan, where it was discovered, and is more common in males than in females. But it is found in all socioeconomic categories and all races.
Is there anything else parents should know about this disease?
If your child has a persistent high-grade fever, you should seek medical counsel. You shouldn't just treat with aspirin. Aspirin can cause something called Reyes Syndrome, so you really do want a professional diagnosis. Pediatricians are very aware of and are concerned about this diagnosis, so seek counsel early and do not resist hospital admission if this is the suspected diagnosis.
Also, it is good to know that there is no real evidence that Kawasaki disease is contagious and that, historically, 1 percent of patients die from complications, which often happen in the second phase. On the other hand, in the spectrum of things, it is a fairly rare childhood illness and most people who have the disease go on to lead healthy, unrestricted lives.
Holly Selby is a former reporter for The Baltimore Sun.
