Underlying Ailments Detected Among A Third Of New York Children With Kawasaki-Like Disease: Study

Over a third of children in New York who developed Kawasaki-like disease associated with the novel coronavirus had several other underlying health conditions, claimed a recent study.

In early May, several countries reported among the kids an occurrence of a hyperinflammatory process that had features similar to the Kawasaki disease.

The experts at the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), the University of Albany and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed 99 pediatric patients with the multi-symptom inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), and found more than one-third of them were obese or suffered from other health conditions.

The study

From March 1 through May 10, the researchers collected around 190 reports regarding admitted patients younger than 21 years of age. Among them, 99 met the NYSDOH interim case definition of MIS-C. Using a modified version of the standardized case report form, the team abstracted demographic information, clinical characteristics, hospital course, laboratory findings, treatment, and outcomes.

The key findings

• 36 of those kids diagnosed with Kawasaki-like illness had a preexisting condition and 29 of them were obese
• On presentation, all of them had fever or chills and other symptoms including gastrointestinal problems, skin issues, and breathing difficulties
• 36% of them were diagnosed with myocarditis and another 16% had clinical myocarditis
• 32% of them had hypotension at admission, 62% received vasopressor support and 80% were admitted to an ICU
• They were all commonly treated with IVIG, glucocorticoids, and vasopressors
• Kawasaki-like illness was less common among adolescents than children
• Kids in the age group zero-12 were more likely to present symptoms like conjunctival injection, rash, and oral mucosal changes and adolescents were most likely to present hypotension and commonly admitted to the ICU

The study highlighted the high prevalence of cardiac dysfunction, depression, coagulopathy, and gastrointestinal symptoms with mild respiratory symptoms and occasional indications for supplemental oxygen, in contrast with most acute COVID-19 cases, among children who needed hospitalization.

“This landmark study links COVID-19 and MIS-C and will help healthcare professionals throughout the country to diagnose this condition in their patients. From the very beginning, New York State has led the nation on investigations into MIS-C, and I commend our team of public health scientists for their excellent work expanding our knowledge and understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” New York Post quoted the state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker.