Father and Sons

What is Kawasaki Syndrome? It was said from the autopsy report of Jett Travolta, John Travolta’s 16 year old teenage son, that the cause of his death was because of Kawasaki Syndrome.

There is no other news that is so heart shattering that knowing your son had died… And worst, in John Travolta’s case, Jett could have died in his arm because according to news, John applied CPR during Jett Travolta’s seisure.

But what is Kawasaki Syndrome? As a concerned father of two, I would also like to know what this Kawasaki Syndrome is, or better known as the Kawasaki Disease.

I did a quick research and found out more information about Kawasaki Disease/Kawasaki Syndrome:

Kawasaki disease (also known as lymph node syndrome, mucocutaneous node disease, infantile polyarteritis and Kawasaki syndrome) is an inflammation (vasculitis) of the middle-sized arteries. It affects many organs, including the skin, mucous membranes, lymph nodes, and blood vessel walls, but the most serious effect is on the heart. Without treatment, mortality may approach 1%, usually within 6 weeks of onset. With treatment, mortality is <0.01% in the U.S.^[1]

It was first described in 1967 by Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki in Japan.

Signs and Symptoms

Kawasaki disease can’t be prevented, but usually has telltale symptoms and signs that appear in phases.

The first phase, which can last for up to 2 weeks, usually involves a persistent fever higher than 104° Fahrenheit (39° Celsius) and lasts for at least 5 days.

Other symptoms that typically develop include:

* severe redness in the eyes
* a rash on the stomach, chest, and genitals
* red, dry, cracked lips
* swollen tongue with a white coating and big red bumps
* sore, irritated throat
* swollen palms of the hands and soles of the feet with a purple-red color
* swollen lymph nodes

Diagnosis

Because Kawasaki syndrome is primarily a disease of infants and young children, the disease is most likely to be diagnosed by a pediatrician. The physician will first consider the possible involvement of other diseases that cause fever and skin rashes, including scarlet fever, measles, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, toxoplasmosis (a disease carried by cats), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and a blistering and inflammation of the skin caused by reactions to certain medications (Stevens-Johnson syndrome).

Once other diseases have been ruled out, the patient’s symptoms will be compared with a set of diagnostic criteria. The patient must have a fever lasting five days or longer that does not respond to antibiotics, together with four of the following five symptoms:

• Inflammation of the conjunctivae of both eyes with no discharge
• At least one of the following changes in the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat: “strawberry” tongue; cracked lips; or swollen throat tissues
• At least one of the following changes in the hands or feet: swelling caused by excess fluid in the tissues; peeling of the skin; or abnormal redness of the skin
• A skin eruption or rash associated with fever (exanthem) on the patient’s trunk
• Swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck to a size greater than 1.5 cm.

Since the cause of Kawasaki syndrome is unknown, there are no laboratory tests that can confirm the diagnosis. The following test results, however, are associated with the disease:

• Blood tests show a high white blood cell count, high platelet count, a high level of protein in the blood serum, and mild anemia
• Chest x ray may show enlargement of the heart (cardiomegaly)
• Urine may show the presence of pus or an abnormally high level of protein
• An electrocardiogram may show changes in the heartbeat rhythm

In addition to these tests, it is important to take a series of echocardiograms during the course of the illness because 20% of Kawasaki patients will develop coronary aneurysms or arteritis that will not appear during the first examination.

Treatment

Kawasaki syndrome is usually treated with a combination of aspirin, to control the patient’s fever and skin inflammation, and high doses of intravenous immune globulin to reduce the possibility of coronary artery complications. Some patients with heart complications may be treated with drugs that reduce blood clotting or may receive corrective surgery.

Follow-up care includes two to three months of monitoring with chest x rays, electrocardiography, and echocardiography. Treatment with aspirin is often continued for several months.

Prognosis

Most patients with Kawasaki syndrome will recover completely, but about 1-2% will die as a result of blood clots forming in the coronary arteries or as a result of a heart attack. Deaths are sudden and unpredictable. Almost 95% of fatalities occur within six months of infection, but some have been reported as long as 10 years afterward. Long-term follow-up of patients with aneurysms indicates that about half show some healing of the aneurysm. The remaining half has a high risk of heart complications in later life.

Check out the following sources:

• Wikipedia Article
• Kids’ Health
• Healthatoz