These antibodies (proteins) help fight infections. IVIG treatment also lowers the risk of coronary artery aneurysms. IVIG is given once. high-dose aspirin given by mouth to treat inflammation. Patients take aspirin until blood tests show that the inflammation has improved. Treatment begins as soon as possible. In some children, IVIG may not work and doctors give steroids instead. Steroids can help prevent coronary aneurysms. It's very important for children on high-dose aspirin to get the annual flu vaccine to help prevent this viral illness. That's because there's a small risk of a rare condition called Reye syndrome in children who take aspirin during a viral illness. Most children with Kawasaki disease start to get much better after a single treatment with immune globulin, though sometimes more doses are needed.
This is one of the few occasions where aspirin may be recommended for a child under 16 years old.Never give your child aspirin, unless it's prescribed by a healthcare professional. It can cause side effects, including Reye's syndrome.Aspirin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).It's used to treat Kawasaki disease because:
The dose of aspirin your child is prescribed and how long they need to take it for depends on their symptoms. They'll probably be given high-dose aspirin until their fever subsides.They may then be prescribed low-dose aspirin until 6 to 8 weeks after the start of their symptoms.This is to reduce blood clots if there are problems developing in the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart.
Corticosteroids are a type of medication that contains hormones, which are powerful chemicals that have a wide range of effects on the body.Corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory medicines used to treat a range of conditions.Corticosteroids have also been used, especially when other treatments fail or symptoms recur, but in a randomized controlled trial, the addition of corticosteroid to immune globulin and aspirin did not improve outcome.Additionally, corticosteroid use in the setting of Kawasaki disease is associated with increased risk of coronary artery aneurysm, so its use is generally contraindicated in this setting.