Your child may be given high doses of aspirin to lower the fever. Aspirin will also help with the rash and prevent your child's blood from clotting too easily. The dose of aspirin will be reduced after the fever comes down and may be continued for several weeks to reduce the risk of heart problems.
Your child may also be given a special medicine derived from blood called immunoglobulin or IVIG, which will help reduce the risk of developing heart problems.
IVIG can only be given in the hospital and will be given over several hours through your child's veins. There may be some redness, swelling or infection developing at the drip site. The doctors and nurses will check the drip site regularly to monitor for these complications.
All forms of medical therapy are associated with a certain degree of risk. In the treatment of Kawasaki Disease, patients may develop adverse or allergic reactions to aspirin and IVIG.
The most common reactions include chills, fever, itch and rash. Your child will be monitored very closely during treatment and doctors and nurses will be on the lookout for any abnormal signs and symptoms. Should an adverse reaction occur, treatment will be stopped or given at a slower rate, depending on the doctor's assessment.
