Kawasaki disease 1

Lead investigator

Dr S M Hall

About the study

At the time of surveillance Kawasaki disease (KD) was a serious acute febrile illness of unknown aetiology occurring mainly (but not exclusively) in children under 5 years old. It was first described in Japan in 1967 where it is currently a significant public health problem with 3-yearly epidemics occurring against a background endemic annual incidence of 85 per 100,000 children under 5. Surveillance of KD in the British Isles has been conducted jointly by the BPA and CDSC since 1983, with reporting via the BPSU since June 1986 which brought a three-fold increase in case ascertainment (106 cases in 1988). The surveillance data suggest that KD in the British Isles is similar clinically and epidemiologically to that described in other Western countries, except for a rather high case fatality rate (2-3U. Cases of “incomplete” KD (fewer than 5 of the diagnostic criteria) have been reported and were increasingly recognised as important because they may also have the severe cardiac complications seen in about 201 of “typical” cases. Important unanswered questions about KD are its aetiology; a “gold standard” diagnostic test; optimum management; and long term outcome. In 1990, two further specific studies will be
mounted on to the main surveillance database: one, conducted by CDSC with the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, aimed to study very long term mortality rates in patients reported to the scheme; the second conducted by CDSC and the Bath Unit for Research into Paediatrics (co-investigator Dr Peter Rudd) studied management regimes used by British paediatricians.

Duration

June 1986 – December 1992

Published papers

Management of Kawasaki disease in the British Isles – PMC

Kawasaki syndrome: lessons for Britain – PMC

Advice/Support Group

Kawasaki Disease Foundation
Web: http://www.kdfoundation.org Email: info@kdfoundation.org