Kawasaki disease factsheet
Introduction
Kawasaki disease is a rare disease that causes inflammation of the blood vessels all over the body. It mainly affects children under five but can sometimes appear in older children.
The current cause of Kawasaki disease is unknown, and it cannot be spread or caught from other people.
Signs and symptoms
Kawasaki disease usually starts with a high fever over 39°C, not brought down by paracetamol or ibuprofen. The fever will last for at least five days, with the following symptoms developing:
- rash that covers the entire body
- skin peeling around the nappy or underwear area
- skin peeling around finger and toenails
- sore, bloodshot, or red eyes with no weeping
- red lips that appear shiny, dry, or cracked
- red tongue with bumps
- redness and swelling of palms and feet
- swollen glands in the neck
- joint pain
- irritability.
Kawasaki disease can also cause inflammation of the heart arteries which puts your child at risk of severe heart problems.
Some diseases like measles and scarlet fever can look like Kawasaki disease, so your child must see their doctor as soon as possible.
Diagnosis
Your child's doctor can diagnose Kawasaki disease based on their symptoms and by ruling out other causes of the fever.
Treatment
Kawasaki disease is treated in the hospital. Treatment involves giving immunoglobulin, also called gammaglobulin, through an intravenous (IV) cannula over several hours.
Immunoglobulins are antibodies that are taken from donated blood. They help your child's immune system fight the illness and effectively stop the fever and symptoms of the disease.
When treated quickly, they also help to prevent any damage to the heart arteries and reduce the risk of heart issues in the future.
Your child will have a test called an echocardiogram to check their heart while they are in hospital. This is to make sure there are no problems with the arteries, valves or muscles in their heart.
Management
Recovery at home
After leaving the hospital, it may take your child 4-8 weeks to fully recover, and they may experience skin peeling during this time.
Your child will need to rest and drink a good amount of fluids.
Once a child has recovered from Kawasaki disease, it is very rare for them to have the disease again. Only a small number of children will have it a second time.
Follow-up care
Your child will need to see a specialist doctor called a paediatrician to check their recovery and any heart damage.
If they are concerned about your child’s heart, they will refer you to a specialist heart doctor called a cardiologist for management.
Resources and more information
