Hospital facilities available to patients with Kawasaki disease: results of a national survey of Kawasaki disease in Japan.

Since 1970, thirteen nationwide epidemiologic surveys of Kawasaki disease have been conducted, and questions on the current situation of hospitals and their facilities have been included in the survey form to assess the care available to patients with Kawasaki disease. To clarify the characteristics of medical care for Kawasaki disease, this paper summarizes the present condition of hospital facilities available to patients with Kawasaki disease. A questionnaire form including questions about the situation of hospital facilities was sent to all pediatric departments of hospitals with 100 or more beds throughout Japan. The proportion of hospitals in which successive observations with echocardiography (UCG) is available (UCG available hospital) was significantly increased compared with the ninth survey (1985-86), whereas that of the hospitals in which coronary angiography (CAG) is available (CAG available hospital) was significantly decreased. Almost all (96.2%) of the patients were reported from the UCG available hospitals. The proportion of patients reported from hospitals with a set policy for intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG) therapy was 74.5%. The proportion of UCG available and CAG available hospitals and that of hospitals with a set policy for IVGG therapy correlated with the increase in the number of patients. In conclusion, hospital facilities available to patients with Kawasaki disease in Japan have satisfactory capability for diagnosis and management of Kawasaki disease.