Short communication: Kawasaki disease among children in the United States

Abstract

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a medium-sized-vessel vasculitis that affects mostly children. The 2016 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kid’s Inpatient Database (HCUP KID) was used in weighted form to investigate differences in gender, month of year, race, region, total charges, and household income in the United States. 5503 weighted cases were found. It was more common in males (3345, 60.8%) than females (2158, 39.2%) (p < 0.01). Most admitted KD patients were white (1913, 38.1%). A higher prevalence of Kawasaki disease was seen among patients of Asian or Pacific Islander background (0.2%). The southern regions of the United States reported the highest rate of admission with 2036 patients (37%). The median age on admission was 2 years (interquartile range [IQR] of 1–5, p < 0.01) and the median charge was $32,170 (IQR: $20,825–$50,502.05) (p < 0.01). Most admissions of Kawasaki disease were recorded in winter with a peak in March (623, 11.3%) (p < 0.01).