Patient's question:
Throughout this entire month, my son has been experiencing recurring colds, and on top of that, he has had low-grade fever, usually around 39 degrees Celsius. The whole family has been running to the hospital this month, so busy that we can't keep up. The doctor said this is Kawasaki disease, a name I've never heard of before. What causes Kawasaki disease?Doctor's answer:
Kawasaki disease is highly likely to be caused by a bacterial infection, primarily by Streptococcus. It is recommended to conduct further blood tests, including a complete blood count to check platelet count fluctuations, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and other inflammatory markers. Liver function tests should also be performed to assess serum albumin levels. Additionally, a urinalysis, chest X-ray, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging are necessary to evaluate whether the coronary arteries have expanded.Typically, high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin is administered, followed by oral and corticosteroid therapy.