Kawasaki Disease in the Australian Population: An Australian Tertiary Hospital Experience

Abstract

Aim: To describe the contemporary experience of Kawasaki Disease (KD) in a tertiary paediatric hospital.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of admissions with suspected/confirmed KD to John Hunter Children's Hospital from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016, with follow-up. Patients were stratified into classical, incomplete, unlikely and uncertain KD cohorts based on the 2004 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines.

Results: Forty (40) patients had 45 admissions with suspected KD. Twenty-four (24) patients (60%) had complete and incomplete KD. Twenty-nine per cent (29%) (7/24) were not diagnosed at presentation. Thirty per cent (30%) (12/40) were incompletely assessed according to the AHA pathway. Seventy-one per cent (71%) of KD patients (17/24) were treated with aspirin and intravenous immunoglobulin. The incidence was 22-26 per 100,000 in children less than 5 years during the study period, higher compared to prior data.

Conclusion: The diagnosis of KD remains challenging, with some children not diagnosed at the time of initial presentation. The increase in KD incidence is hypothesis generating and requires further investigation.

Keywords: Cardiology; General paediatrics; Immunology; Kawasaki disease.