TITLE:
Exploratory Study on the Use of Echocardiography Combined with Blood-Related Test Parameters in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Kawasaki Disease in Children
AUTHORS:
Yongkang Li, Yanhong Qin, Jide Huang, Guosheng Su, Lihua Qin
KEYWORDS:
Echocardiography, Blood Indicators, Children, Kawasaki Disease, Heart
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Medical Imaging,
Vol.14 No.4,
November
13,
2024
ABSTRACT: Objective: This study aims to explore the application of echocardiography combined with blood-related detection indicators in the diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki disease in children, assessing the potential advantages of this combined diagnostic method for early diagnosis, disease monitoring, and evaluation of treatment efficacy, thereby providing more effective treatment strategies. Methods: The study included 50 children diagnosed with Kawasaki disease as the study group, and 50 children with upper respiratory infections as the control group. Both groups underwent echocardiographic examinations to assess cardiac structure and function, while monitoring changes in blood-related inflammatory markers. The differences in echocardiographic and blood-related indicators before and after treatment between the two groups were compared. Results: Echocardiography effectively assessed the cardiac structure and function of children with Kawasaki disease. It was found that the ejection fraction (EF) in the treatment group significantly decreased from 69.94 ± 5.93% before treatment to 65.70 ± 5.56% after treatment (P = 0.0019), while the control group showed no significant change (from 70.94 ± 6.27% to 69.18 ± 6.14%, P = 0.2073). The aortic diameter (AO) in the treatment group increased from 12.85 ± 2.77 mm to 13.17 ± 2.41 mm (P = 0.0000), while in the control group it decreased from 18.58 ± 6.66 mm to 17.64 ± 6.83 mm (P = 0.0000), indicating potential vascular remodeling. In terms of blood indicators, the C-reactive protein (CRP) in the treatment group significantly decreased from 65.82 ± 81.31 mg/L to 14.03 ± 17.94 mg/L (P = 0.028), while in the control group, CRP decreased from 30.66 ± 47.78 mg/L to 8.17 ± 11.71 mg/L (P = 0.0049). Other inflammatory markers, such as procalcitonin (PCT), also showed corresponding changes. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that echocardiography combined with blood-related detection indicators has significant application prospects in the diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki disease in children. This combined diagnostic approach not only helps improve the diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficacy of Kawasaki disease but also offers new insights for individualized treatment. Further promotion and in-depth research of this combined diagnostic strategy will contribute to optimizing the clinical management of Kawasaki disease in children, improving patient prognosis and quality of life.