Volume 14, Issue 4: Kawasaki disease (KD) – those paediatric jobs that every ambulance clinician dreads!

Kawasaki disease (KD) – those paediatric jobs that every ambulance clinician dreads!

You are heading back to the station after a long night shift when you receive a call for “a 2-year-old boy with a high temperature and red and puffy hands”. On arrival the patient appears unwell, but not critically so, you begin a full assessment thinking about the challenging differential diagnosis ahead…

CPD benefit

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a rare disease that mainly affects children under the age of 5 years old. It is the second most common vasculitis in childhood and the leading cause of acquired heart disease in this age group if left untreated. This article discusses the history, epidemiology, aetiology and pathophysiology of KD. There is also guidance on how to best assess and manage patients. Differential diagnosis can be very challenging for pre-hospital clinicians where most patients are under 5 years of age and where KD can present like many other causes of childhood fever. This article will help you to avoid misdiagnosis as early recognition and treatment can significantly decrease the likelihood of cardiac complications and even death.