Revisiting the role of steroids and aspirin in the management of acute Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki Disease-Associated Cytokine Storm Syndrome

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a hyperinflammatory syndrome manifesting as an acute systemic vasculitis characterized by fever, nonsuppurative conjunctival injection, rash, oral mucositis, extremity changes, and cervical lymphadenopathy. KD predominantly affects young children and shares clinical features and immunobiology with other hyperinflammation syndromes including systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) is an acute complication in ~2% of KD patients; however, the incidence is likely underestimated as many clinical and laboratory features of both diseases overlap. CSS should be entertained when a child with KD is unresponsive to IVIG therapy with recalcitrant fever. Early recognition and prompt institution of immunomodulatory treatment can substantially reduce the mortality and morbidity of CSS in KD. Given the known pathogenetic role of IL-1β in both syndromes, the early use of IL-1 blockers in refractory KD with CSS deserves consideration.

[Pediatric expert consensus on the application of aspirin in Kawasaki disease]

Kawasaki disease (KD) is one of the common acquired heart diseases in children aged <5 years and is an acute systemic vasculitis. After nearly 60 years of research, intravenous immunoglobulin combined with oral aspirin has become the first-line treatment for the prevention of coronary artery lesion in acute KD; however, there are still controversies over the role and optimal dose of aspirin. The consensus was formulated based on the latest research findings of KD treatment in China and overseas and comprehensive discussion of pediatric experts in China and put forward recommendations on the dose, usage, and course of aspirin treatment in the first-line treatment of KD.

Multiple intravenous antibiotics usage is associated with intravenous immunoglobulin resistance in Kawasaki disease

BACKGROUND

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a form of systemic vasculitis that primarily affects children under the age of 5 years old. Antibiotics are often prescribed for KD patients even before a diagnosis is made due to their prolonged fever and elevated inflammatory markers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of antibiotics usage on the disease outcome of KD.

METHODS

We carried out a retrospective chart review of children between 2005 and 2017 for initial immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment of KD. KD children with initial IVIG treatment more than 10 days after the onset of symptoms were excluded.

RESULTS

In total, 280 children were eligible for this study, among which 209 had been treated with antibiotic(s) and 71 had not been. The IVIG resistance rates were 5.6% (4/71), 8.9% (10/112), and 21.6% (21/97) in non-users, single-drug users, and multiple-drug users, respectively (r = 0.205, p = 0.003). The IVIG resistance rate of the multiple antibiotics drug users in KD patients was significantly higher than the other two groups. Furthermore, the likelihood of IVIG resistance was found to increase with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) values (1.010/unit, p < 0.001) but not with total white blood cell (WBC) count (p = 0.466).

CONCLUSION

The probability of IVIG resistance increases with elevated CRP values and the use of multiple IV antibiotics, thus indicating that physicians should be prudent in administering multiple IV antibiotics when treating assumed infections in KD children.

Kawasaki Disease Shock Syndrome in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia: Case Series

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a treatable medium-sized vasculitis in the pediatric population consisting of a myriad of specific signs and symptoms. A new entity of the disease, Kawasaki disease shock syndrome (KDSS), is defined as a KD patient presenting with signs of hypoperfusion. Our aim is to describe the signs and symptoms of KDSS and how it is treated and its consequences. Out of 37 patients diagnosed with KD in the period between January 2018 and December 2019 in hospitalized patients younger than 14 years of age at Maternity and Children's Hospital in Al-Hassa, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, 3 (8.10%) patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for KDSS: 2 (66%) were male and 1 (33%) was female. The cardinal feature in all of them was peripheral cardiovascular collapse. Two patients (66%) were found to have aseptic meningitis. All patients were treated with immunomodulatory agents (intravenous immunoglobulin) and all responded well to anti-inflammatory doses of aspirin. KDSS is the shock state of KD presenting with hypoperfusion symptoms, mainly irritability and changes in the level of consciousness and peripheral cardiovascular collapse. Awareness of such presentation and management by immunomodulatory medications helps in recovery and prevention of tragic consequences of such disease.

Variation in the management of Kawasaki disease in Australia and New Zealand: A survey of paediatricians

AIM

This study aimed to describe the current management practices for Kawasaki disease (KD) in Australia and New Zealand.

METHODS

We performed a secondary analysis on the Australian and New Zealand responses to a large international survey of clinicians' perspectives on KD diagnosis and management.

RESULTS

There was general consensus among Australian and New Zealand clinicians regarding the indications for intravenous immunoglobulin and aspirin in the management of acute KD. There was less consensus on the dose of these agents, the definition and management of treatment-resistant KD and the approach to long-term thromboprophylaxis.

CONCLUSION

Most clinicians use intravenous immunoglobulin for primary treatment of KD. There is variation regarding other aspects of KD diagnosis and important management issues. Future studies should confirm whether this reported variation occurs in real-world practice and assess potential impacts on patient outcome.

Kawasaki syndrome: role of superantigens revisited

Kawasaki syndrome (KS) is an acute vasculitis in children complicated by the development of heart disease. Despite its description over 50 years ago, the etiology of coronary artery disease in KS is unknown. High dose intravenous immunoglobulin is the most effective approach to reduce cardiovascular complications. It remains unclear why patients with KS develop coronary artery aneurysms. A subset of patients is resistant to immunoglobulin therapy. Given the heterogeneity of clinical features, variability of history, and therapeutic response, KS may be a cluster of phenotypes triggered by multiple infectious agents and influenced by various environmental, genetic, and immunologic responses. The cause of KS is unknown, and a diagnostic test remains lacking. A better understanding of mechanisms leading to acute KS would contribute to a more precision medicine approach for this complex disease. In the current viewpoint, we make the case for microbial superantigens as important causes of KS.

Pitfalls in the diagnosis and management of Kawasaki disease: An update for the pediatric dermatologist

Kawasaki disease is easily diagnosed when it presents in its complete form, but because not all characteristic symptoms are always present at the same time, and the diagnosis of incomplete and atypical Kawasaki disease is often challenging, a delay in diagnosis or misdiagnosis often occurs. We present the diagnostic approach to Kawasaki disease with common pitfalls and explain how to avoid them. We also describe current practice and new trends in treatment.