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Kawasaki disease rate continues to climb in South Korea
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Kawasaki disease incidence has continuously increased in South Korea from 2009 to 2011, according to recent study findings published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.
Researchers used a retrospective survey to identify epidemiologic features of Kawasaki disease in South Korea. Overall, 13,031 cases were reported from 87 hospitals — 3,941 in 2009, 4,635 in 2010 and 4,455 in 2011.
Researchers found that the incidence of Kawasaki disease in children younger than 5 years increased from 115.4 per 100,000 children in 2009 to 134.4 per 100,000 children in 2011. The incidence rate of Kawasaki disease was highest during the summer and winter, with a 3.83% recurrence rate.
Standard doses of IV immunoglobulin were given to 93.6% of patients, with an 11.6% non-responder rate. Less than 2% of patients had a coronary aneurysm, and 0.26% of children older than 3 years developed a giant aneurysm. Myocardial infarction was reported in two patients, and there was a 0% mortality rate.
“The distinguishable finding from this survey is that there was no reported mortality in patients during the acute phase of [Kawasaki disease] from 2009 to 2011 in South Korea,” the researchers wrote. “In previous surveys, 0.01% to 0.03% of the patients died during acute phase of [Kawasaki disease] in South Korea. Increased awareness of [Kawasaki disease] in the general population and among physicians and earlier initiation of treatment due to earlier diagnosis, is likely responsible for the decreased mortality seen in this study during the acute phase of [Kawasaki disease] in South Korea.”
Disclosure: The study was funded in part by the Korean Society of Cardiology.
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