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Associated symptoms in the ten days before diagnosis of Kawasaki disease
Annette L Baker1, Minmin Lu, L LuAnn Minich
1Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. annette.baker@cardio.chboston.org
Objective:
To describe common associated symptoms within the 10 days before diagnosis in subjects enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Network's trial of steroid therapy in Kawasaki disease (KD).
Study Design:
Patients with acute KD were enrolled between days 4 and 10 of illness at 8 centers between 2002 and 2004. We defined common associated symptoms as those occurring in >or=10% of patients. Principal clinical criteria for KD were not included in this analysis.
Results:
Among 198 patients, irritability was reported in 98 (50%), vomiting in 88 (44%), decreased food/fluid intake in 73 (37%), cough in 55 (28%), diarrhea in 52 (26%), rhinorrhea in 37 (19%), weakness in 37 (19%), abdominal pain in 35 (18%), and joint pain (arthralgia or arthritis) in 29 (15%). One or more gastrointestinal symptom (vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain) was present in 120 patients (61%) and 69 patients (35%) had >or= 1 respiratory symptom (rhinorrhea or cough).
Conclusions:
Nonspecific symptoms occur commonly in children with KD. To reduce delays in diagnosis, clinicians should be educated that such symptoms may comprise a significant component in the chief complaint.
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