Overview
Introduction
Kawasaki disease is an acute inflammation of medium sized blood vessels (a vasculitis) that mainly affects children under 5 years of age.
REx-PN
REx-PN
Kawasaki disease is an acute inflammation of medium-sized blood vessels (a vasculitis) that mainly affects children under 5 years of age. It is the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children in Canada. The illness usually settles on its own over several weeks, but in about one quarter of untreated children the inflammation weakens the walls of the coronary arteries and they balloon outward to form aneurysms. Aneurysms can clot, narrow or rupture, and a young child can have a heart attack years later. Treatment with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) in the first 10 days of fever lowers that risk to roughly 4 in 100. For the registered practical nurse (RPN), the exam focus is recognition of the pattern, accurate observation and reporting, safe routine care of a stable child, reinforcing teaching, and knowing which changes need immediate escalation to the RN or physician. The RPN does not diagnose the condition or decide on treatment.
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