Kawasaki disease incidence in children and adolescents: an observational study in primary care

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Gillian C Hall1, Louise E Tulloh2, Robert M R Tulloh3

  • 1Grimsdyke House, London.

The British Journal of General Practice : the Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
|February 25, 2016
PubMed

Insights

The UK incidence of Kawasaki disease remains low and stable, with no significant seasonal or yearly trends observed. General practitioners should remain vigilant for this condition in children and adolescents year-round.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Kawasaki disease is a leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in Western countries.
  • Its incidence is reportedly increasing, necessitating updated epidemiological data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the current incidence of Kawasaki disease in the UK across childhood and adolescence.
  • To investigate temporal and seasonal trends in Kawasaki disease incidence.

Main Methods:

  • An observational, descriptive study utilizing primary healthcare records from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database.
  • Case identification involved searching for specific codes and text, followed by validation against a case definition.
  • Incidence, age/sex distribution, and temporal/seasonal trends were analyzed for the period 2008-2012.

Main Results:

  • A total of 110 Kawasaki disease episodes were identified in 109 children over 3.9 million person-years.
  • The overall incidence was 2.8 per 100,000 person-years, with a higher rate of 9.1 per 100,000 in children under 5 years.
  • No statistically significant trends in incidence were found over the study period or across seasons.

Conclusions:

  • Kawasaki disease incidence in the UK is low and appears to have stabilized.
  • The condition affects children and adolescents throughout the year, requiring ongoing awareness among general practitioners.
Abstract

Keywords:
Kawasaki diseaseadolescentschildrenepidemiologyincidence

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