title: Kawasaki Syndrome in Texas.
abstract: The authors examined hospitalization rates of Kawasaki Syndrome (KS) among Texas children to isolate clusters, identify demographic disparities, and suggest possible causative factors. Using a retrospective cross-sectional study design, they studied 330 KS cases from 2,818,460 hospital discharges. The majority of the cases (61.5%) occurred within the 1-4-years-old category, representing the highest hospitalization rate (14.3 per 100,000 children). Almost 75% of the KS population was less than 5 years old, with hospitalization rates approximately 8 times higher than that of all other children (p < .05). KS diagnosis occurred for only 49.4% of all KS cases upon admission. Along with high-density clusters identified in major metropolitan areas, the authors found the highest rates of KS among Asian and Pacific Islander and non-Hispanic black children. Genetic predispositions and access to healthcare issues may explain the results. The authors recommend improving educational initiatives with healthcare providers and establishing KS as a reportable condition.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Management at the Lewis College of Business at Marshall University, USA.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coustasse
authors.forename: Julius J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Larry
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Migala
authors.forename: Cody
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arvidson
authors.forename: Karan P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology