Kawasaki Syndrome in Texas.
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.
Coustasse
Alberto
A
Graduate School of Management at the Lewis College of Business at Marshall University, USA.
Larry
Julius J
JJ
Migala
Witold
W
Arvidson
Cody
C
Singh
Karan P
KP
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