26 Days of Kawasaki Disease Awareness: Day 26

It's finally here! January 26, 2014 - the 4th annual Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day.  Thanks to everyone who joined me in this 26 day endeavor and to everyone who spreads KD awareness in their own way.  During the last month, I have been posting ideas that can raise awareness for KD.  

Here are the past days:

Day 1: Help make 'National Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day' officially recognized at the local, state, and national levels.
Day 2: Create an email signature to promote Kawasaki Disease awareness.
Day 3: Organize an art contest.
Day 4: Pass out KD awareness posters.

Day 5: Write about your Kawasaki Disease experience.

Day 6: Contact news outlets about running a KD story.
Day 7: Decorate your home and car windows with KD awareness.
Day 8: Participate in a KD Clinical Study
Day 9: Share Kawasaki Disease themed infographics and memes.
Day 10: Organize a 5K run for Kawasaki Disease.
Day 11: Get your community involved in KD awareness.
Day 12: Hand out heart lollipops with KD information.
Day 13: Start or join a Kawasaki Disease support group.
Day 14: Buy, make, and wear KD awareness.
Day 15: Organize a charity golf or mini-golf tournament for KD.
Day 16: Organize a local blood drive for KD and donate blood.
Day 17: Get your child's school involved.
Day 18: Make a KD inspired float for a local parade.
Day 19: Organize a charity sporting event for KD.

Day 20: Donate $26 on January 26th and urge others to do the same.
Day 21: Get your public library involved in KD awareness.
Day 22: Get your religious and non-religions organizations  and clubs involved.
Day 23: Attend a Kawasaki Disease Parent Symposium.
Day 24: Help a Kawasaki Disease Survivor with their very own awareness campaign or fundraiser.
Day 25: Make a Kawasaki Disease awareness inspired wreath.

So let's get to the final idea of "26 days of Kawasaki Disease Awareness."

Day 26: Share Kawasaki Disease Facts.

If we are going to spread KD information, we need to strive to spread current, factual information.  Many of the following KD facts are more well known, others may not be so wide spread.  It is crucial to remember that many of these facts come from a variety of different sources and all will be linked to where I originally found the information.  All facts should be considered based on the context of the article that contains it.  

26 Kawasaki Disease Facts, in no particular order:


#1) Kawasaki Disease is the #1 cause of acquired heart disease in children, worldwide. 

#2) Although many theories exist, it has not yet been proven what exactly causes Kawasaki Disease.

#3) 75% of people who are diagnosed with KD are under 5 years of age.

#4) There is no diagnostic test for Kawasaki Disease; it is diagnosed by ruling out other illnesses through diagnostic tests and a thorough history and physical.  

#5) To be diagnosed with KD, you have had a fever for at least five days and show at least 4 out of these 5 symptoms: rash; swollen lymph nodes in the neck; swollen, chapped lips and a strawberry tongue; swollen hands and feet with red palms and/or soles; and bloodshot eyes.

#6) Approximately 25% of KD cases will present as Incomplete Kawasaki Disease, where less than four of the principal features are present but laboratory results or echocardiography suggests the diagnosis of KD.

#7) Number of children <5 diagnosed with KD each year, broken down by country (and rounded to the nearest whole number):

1. Japan - 220 per 100,000
2. Korea - 113 per 100,000
3. Taiwan - 69 per 100,000
4. Canada - 26 per 100,000
5. United States - 19 per 100,000
6. Australia - 10 per 100,000
7. England - 8 per 100,000

#8) If left untreated, Kawasaki Disease will lead to coronary artery aneurysms in 25% of cases.  

#9) Children with Kawasaki Disease have a higher risk of developing atopic dermatitis (eczema) than healthy controls.

#10) Parents whose children have had KD reported a higher proportion of anxiety issues, allergies, and orthopedic/bone/joint issues in their children than did the general US population sample.

#11) Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki first saw the illness known later as Kawasaki Disease in 1961.  He wrote his first Japanese-language report on KD on 1967 and his first English-language report in 1974.

#12) The first cases of Kawasaki Disease to be recognized in the United States were in Hawaii in the early 1970s.

#13) Most coronary artery aneurysms resulting from Kawasaki Disease are small to medium in size and 50-67% of small-medium CAA's will regress back to normal size within 1-2 years.

#14) Several lines of evidence suggest that regressed CAA may be at risk for some long-term complications, particularly accelerated atherosclerotic disease.

#15) The American Heart Association and the Japanese Ministry of Health both determine what kind of follow up is needed based on the health of the coronary arteries during and after KD and assign different risk levels. 

#16) Risk Levels:

1. Risk Level I: No coronary artery changes at any stage of illness.
2. Risk Level II: Transient coronary artery dilation which disappears within the first 6-8 weeks.
3. Risk Level III: 1 small-medium coronary artery aneurysm/major coronary artery
4. Risk Level IV: ≥1 large or giant coronary artery aneurysm, or multiple or complex aneurysms in same coronary artery, without obstruction
5. Risk Level V: coronary artery obstruction

#17) Kawasaki Disease has a male to female ratio of 1.5:1.

#18) Rates of Recurrent Kawasaki Disease vary between 0.8% in the United States to 3% in Japan. 

#19) The proportion of patients suffering a recurrence increase with age, while the majority of recurrence occurs within 2 years of the initial attack. 

#20) In rare cases (0.2%), patient can suffer multiple recurrences.

#21) Children who are febrile more than 36 hours after the completion of their initial IVIG infusion require additional therapy.

#22) World's Top Institutions for Kawasaki Disease, according to Expertscape:

• University of California, San Diego
• Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
• Northwestern University, Chicago
• Chang Gung University, Taiwan
• Boston Children's Hospital
• Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Nippon Medical School, Japan

#23) World's Top Specialists in Kawasaki Disease, according to Expertscape:

• Dr. Jane Burns, UCSD
• Dr. Jane Newburger, Boston Children's
• Dr. Standford Shulman, Northwestern
• Dr. Anne Rowley, Northwestern
• Dr. Masato Takahashi, USC
• Dr. Brian McCrindle, Sick Kids
• Dr. Rae Yeung, Sick Kids

#24) Up to 33% of KD patients have at least one concurrent infection at the time of diagnosis, but no correlation between a specific agent and the severity of the disease course has been identified.

#25) There are 4 stages or phases of Kawasaki Disease:

1. Acute
2. Sub-acute
3. Convalescent
4. Chronic

#26) A new study just out is reporting that when the initial outcome of KD is good (no persistent aneurysms), rates of cardiovascular events were no higher than in the control group.  Doctors, of course, want more follow-up studies done to verify these results, but this is VERY good news for lots of little hearts out there! It also illustrates the absolute importance of a prompt diagnosis (within 10 days of fever onset) and the immediate need for a diagnostic test.  

So there you go, 26 facts about Kawasaki Disease that can educate those all over the world and even introduce KD to many who have never heard of it.  

I'd like to say a special thanks to everyone who supported this project.  I'm amazed at the amount of KD awareness I saw spreading all over the world this year, and it gives me great hope for the future.  One day soon, we will have a diagnostic test for KD.  One day soon, every parent will know about this mysterious illness.  One day soon, children's hearts will finally be safe from this silent monster.  One day soon...

Twice!