Abstract 13603: Racial and Socioeconomic Differences Among Children With Kawasaki Disease in the South

Abstract

Introduction: Kawasaki Disease (KD) is a leading cause of pediatric acquired heart disease in the U.S. Children of Black race seem to have more vulnerability to developing KD and face worse clinical outcomes. It is unknown if this is due to socio-economic disadvantages faced by this minority group or by host factors. The objective of this study is to identify racial and socio-economic differences among Black children with KD compared to other races. Methods: EMR (2000-2019) ICD codes served to identify KD children admitted to a single tertiary Southeast U.S. center. Subjects diagnosed and treated according to American Heart Association criteria were included. Socio-economic status was defined using a validated neighborhood deprivation index associated with the child’s ZIP-code at the time of KD hospitalization. Data was stratified and compared by deprivation status and race. Results: A total of 525 subjects (32% non-deprived White, 17.5% deprived White, 18.7% non-deprived Black, 31.8% deprived Black) were included. Deprived White children with KD had the highest proportion of intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) response (86.1%) compared to deprived Black children with the lowest (75.3%; p 0.02). Deprived Black children presented with KD at an earlier median age than any other group (26 vs ~40 months; p 0.008). Conclusions: This study suggests that factors like race and socio-economic status may affect KD age at presentation and outcomes among Black children with KD. Future studies that explore the attributable proportion from different factors that drive the disparate outcomes among Black children with KD are needed.