Fifteen-minute consultation: Kawasaki disease: how to distinguish from other febrile illnesses: tricks and tips

Abstract

Kawasaki disease (KD) is challenging to diagnose because there is no specific laboratory test and the presentation is often similar to common childhood infections. We highlight some of those KD diagnostic challenges. KD, a self-limiting vasculitis, can cause coronary artery aneurysms. The aim is to optimise management during the acute febrile illness to try and prevent these because a giant coronary artery aneurysm is devastating enough without thinking that it might have been prevented. The conundrum for acute paediatricians is which clinical features best distinguish the febrile child with possible KD, needing intravenous immunoglobulin, from the many other children with febrile illnesses.

Caracterización de la enfermedad de Kawasaki en niños entre 3 meses y 15 años en 2 instituciones de salud en Bogotá, Colombia

“…La incidencia de EK varía mucho entre las diferentes regiones. El país con más casos de EK es Japón con una incidencia de 298.6 casos por cada 100.000 niños menores de 5 años 4 . En América del Norte, Europa y Australia, la incidencia varía de 5 a 22 por cada 100.000 niños menores de 5 años 5 .…”