Could this be kawasaki?What were your child's symptoms?

[Aklein38]

So my youngest son had a temperature for 3 days which broke but then the GP noticed he has pus on his tonsils so treated him with antibiotics. He is now all better.

2 days later my eldest ds who is 7 got a temperature, I kept checking his thorat (assuming he would get the same as his younger brother) and 2 days later he had pus on his tonsils so was started on penicillin V. Day 4 of fever and day 2 of antibiotics and still no improvement. Saw the GP who said it was probably because it was a virus as he developed a runny nose and the fever should break in the next 2 days.

We are now on day 5 of high temrpatyres and this morning when he woke I noticed he had red cracked lips and one eye was bloodshot! I'm now terrified he has incomplete kawasaki. I took him back to GP who said he could definitely see pus on tonsils so prescribed antibiotics but has never heard of kawasaki so dismissed me.

I am terrified I need to go to A&E to be treated for kawasaki but my husband says no as even though he still has a 38.9 temperature the bloodshot eye is in one eye and could be from excessive rubbing overnight as it was watery. And the lips could be from dehydration.

Just looking for others experiences with tonsilitis and kawasaki.

1. How high was the temperature with kawasaki?
2. Did it respond to calpol/ibuprofen?
3. What other symptoms were present?
4. How long did the cracked lips and bloodshot eyes last?
5. How was your child in themselves? Did they have enough energy to watch TV?

Sorry I suffer with health anxiety and OCD so any insights would be useful!

@scrivette - how long would the tonsilitis last?

This is our first lot of tonsilitis with him (never had it before). He isn't particularly complaining of sore throat but it is clearly red and with pus. I just don't know what kids with tonsilitis act like...

He was 4 and 3/4.

the blood shot eyes and cracked lips were very pronounced. It wasn’t a case of oooo his eyes look a bit funny - are they a bit red. His lips were big. The rash was on his trunk and very rough like sandpaper.

My son had Kawasaki aged 6. A sustained fever that does not respond at all to calpol / nurofen is the key sign. Like literally doesn’t even drop by 0.5 degrees.
My son became so limp he couldn’t walk and the peeing lips / hands / toes is not like dry cracked lips. It is literally like his skin was falling off. Strawberry tounge was so distinctive, both the vividness and the bumps.

My two have also both had tonsillitis. Kawasaki for me was a whole different ball game.

I’m not a doctor so I won’t diagnose. But for me as a parent, “very poorly” and “poorly with Kawasaki” were miles apart. But of course if you are worried, always seek further help.

Sending you some strength regardless, poorly kids are never fun ❤️

My son was diagnosed with KD when he was 2. We were on holiday at the time and he was diagnosed with tonsilitis by a GP. A couple of days later he became worse and we went to A&E and were discharged with a scarlett fever diagnosis but that was changed to KD when we got back home. He has some heart damage because of late diagnosis.
It can be seen in older children, a group I am in there was recently a child of 12 diagnosed.

@GoodStuffAnnie and @Sbera - thank you for sharing.

His eyes are very bloodshot, no doubt about it but the lips we only dry and cracked this morning and now look OK. How long did the cracked lips last for your dc?

I haven't given him calpol/ibuprofen today as I wanted to see how he would cope (obviously would have given him if it went as high as 39.7 like previous days) and when I did give it previously the temperature definitely did respond.

My husband seems to say the same things as you that yes he is very poorly but a child with KD would be another level of poorly, not wanting to interact or do anything. He doesn't want me to take him to A&E and wants me to let him rest at home as he is convinced it's just bad tonsilitis.

Like I said it's the eyes and lips that have me worried. Definitely no rash or swollen hands and feet.

@DeerWatch - what changed to make it a KD diagnosis rather than tonsilitis/scarlett fever?

I assume he had a rash?

Did he have pus on tonsils do you remember?

My tonsillitis as a kid used to ask a week or so. Continuous severe fever until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, over 39 degrees at times. It would come down a bit with Calpol, but not for long.

Viral conjunctivitis is definitely a possibility, or it could be bacterial and the antibiotics might not be the right ones for reaching the eye tissue. A pharmacist may be able to prescribe antibiotic drops, but I'm not sure with an under 18. Worth checking though.
As for the cracked lips, sick kids often don't drink enough, so push the fluids, now is not the time to worry about cordial Vs water, go with whatever he'll drink. It will also help with the fever. And lip balm just to make them more comfortable.
With any luck thinks will look better in the morning.

@Ramblingaway - thanks yes he has been drinking lots today and I've just checked and his lips seem normal to me so it didn't even last 24 hours the cracking and redness.

I don’t think anyone here is going to be able to reassure you. Even a medical professional cannot diagnose from that post. I’m very relaxed about medical stuff but I brought my daughter to A&E because she smelt so bad to me, even after a GP said it was a virus and it turned out to be pneumonia. So that was very much an instinct thing and in this case my instinct was correct. It is more tricky for you because of your health anxiety.

i’m not in the UK but ringing 111 sounds like the most sensible course of action.

@Aklein38

Yes he had a rash. When we got home and he was still unwell I took him to our GP who was concerned as she picked up a heart murmur. He saw cardiologist that afternoon and that is when they picked up bulky coronary arteries and KD diagnosed.

My son’s lips were not cracked. They were peeling. Literally falling off in sheets of skin.
his hands and feet were so swollen that the skin almost “burst” before peeling off. It lasted for long after he was home from hospital, maybe 4-6 weeks?

The best way to describe it is that no amount of moisturiser or fluid would have fixed it. There was nothing on his lip to fix.

But to be super clear, this was my experience. I’m not a medical professional. So please if you are worried, seek additional help.

If his eyes are bloodshot, and the GP said he has strawberry tongue, I'd take him to a&e

The best time to go imo is early morning, so 5 or 6 am.

I hope this isn't unhelpful, its just honestly what I'd do x

This morning very bloodshot eyes but finally temperature seems to have gone so it lasted 5 full days. I'm not not thinking it is kawasaki but instead pharyngeal conjunctival fever due to adenovirus as that seems to also fit.

It's just been so scary and his eyes look awful but I'm thinking if there is not more temperature just bloodshot eyes, congestion, hoarse voice, pus on tonsils then to not bother with A&E and continue with antibiotics and self care?

I would make a GP appointment for a review personally, because of the very bloodshot eyes. And I don't have health anxiety.

But I saw a GP yesterday and he already had the bloodshot eyes so I don't think there is much point. By bloodshot eyes I mean very red like viral conjunctivitis. He had it in one eye yesterday whuch today is much better but now has it in the other. I did point it out to the GP and he just said it was suggestive of a viral infection.

For those who had children with KD, how long did the bloodshot eyes last? Is it likely to only last 1-2 days?

@Aklein38My son has adhd and quite literally can’t sit still. He had a bad case of tonsillitis and did not move from the sofa for days. He just lay there staring into space was too ill to even look at his tablet. He had dry cracked lips as was difficult for him to even drink. He also had pain in his groin and legs.

He was very poorly and if it wasn’t for the fact that I used to get tonsillitis a lot as a kid and can remember how awful it can be I would have been worried.

Stop trying to diagnose.
You can send photos on e consult to ypur gp fir reassurance.

If he is worse than yesterday, then do go to a medical professional and ask is it a or b? If they say no then trust them.

If he is improving even slowly then just stay home and keep up the meds