Serum Sodium Levels and Cardiac Complications in Patients with Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki disease is an acute vasculitis of childhood and can be associated with complications such as hyponatremia. The present study was conducted to evaluate the serum sodium levels and its association with cardiac complications in children with Kawasaki disease.

In this cross-sectional study, all Kawasaki patients (according to AHA criteria) referred to Amirkola Children's Hospital in Babol in 2017-2018 were evaluated. Patients underwent serum sodium assessment and echocardiography and the relationship between serum sodium levels and cardiac complications including ectasia and coronary aneurysm, myocarditis, pericarditis and coronary artery occlusion was investigated.

Of the 60 patients with Kawasaki disease, 27 (45%) were male and 33 (55%) were female. Their mean age was 32±8 months. 28 patients (47%) had serum sodium levels lower than 135 mEq/L while normal serum sodium level (135-150 mEq/L1) was reported in 53% of patients. Cardiac complications including coronary ectasia and myocarditis were reported in 16 and 32 patients, respectively. There was no significant difference between serum sodium levels and cardiac complications. There was no difference in the incidence of cardiac complications and hyponatremia in males and females.

According to the results of the present study, serum sodium levels cannot be a good criterion for cardiac prognosis.