[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 58 (Thursday, May 5, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E883-E884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       KAWASAKI DISEASE AWARENESS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HOWARD COBLE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 5, 2005

  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, an organization dedicated to the awareness of 
Kawasaki Disease, A Kawasaki Heart, is striving to increase public 
knowledge of Kawasaki Disease (KD) throughout the United States and, 
more particularly, among medical professionals.
  I recently learned of a close call suffered by 3-year-old Bailey 
Buffkin, the granddaughter of Janis Moore of Thomasville, North 
Carolina, and the daughter of Amber Brewer. Bailey became ill this past 
March and her mom wasted no time in seeking medical care. Fortunately, 
her pediatrician was familiar with the symptoms of KD. The accurate 
diagnosis and timely treatment means that Bailey has a better chance to 
live a happy and healthy life.
  According to the American Heart Association, KD is a disease that 
primarily affects children under the age of 5 years. It is the leading 
cause of acquired heart disease in children. There are a few thousand 
new cases each year in the U.S. If not detected and treated 
immediately, it can result in permanent heart damage or even death. The 
cause of KD is unknown, but scientists who have studied KD think the 
evidence strongly suggests it is caused by an infectious agent such as 
a virus. Children with KD have high fever, red eyes and lips, 
strawberry tongue, a rash, swollen lymph nodes, and inflamed arteries. 
The usual treatment, intravenous gamma globulin, is highly effective at 
preventing the heart complications if administered within the first few 
days of illness. That is why it is so important that a child who is 
suspected of having KD is seen by a doctor quickly and diagnosed 
correctly.
  Because there are relatively few instances of KD diagnosed in the 
United States, it is important that parents, guardians and the medical 
community become familiar with the signs and symptoms so that other 
children are diagnosed and treated as quickly as Bailey Buffkin.

[[Page E884]]

  Additional information may be located on the web site of the American 
Heart Association (www.americanheart.org) and A Kawasaki Heart 
(www.kawasakidisease.us).

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