Article Text
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.
- Kawasaki disease
- fever
- vasculitis
- coronary artery aneurysms
- general paediatrics
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Footnotes
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent for publication Not required.
Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.