KD

Medical abbreviation · Pediatric & Neonatal

KD
Stands forKawasaki disease
CategoriesMedical

KD stands for Kawasaki disease, a pediatric & neonatal abbreviation.

Acute vasculitis of young children, mostly under five, presenting with five or more days of fever plus features such as red eyes, cracked lips and strawberry tongue, rash, swollen hands and feet, and a swollen neck lymph node. It can cause coronary artery aneurysms.

Example: Fever 6 days, conjunctivitis, strawberry tongue, extremity edema: KD; IVIG 2 g/kg and aspirin, echo.

Usage notes

Japanese pediatrician Tomisaku Kawasaki described it in 1967. It is a leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in developed countries. Treatment with IVIG within 10 days of fever lowers coronary aneurysm risk from about a quarter to a few percent. The cause remains unknown.

More pediatric & neonatal abbreviations

  • HepA – Hepatitis A vaccine
  • HepB – Hepatitis B vaccine
  • HFMD – Hand, foot and mouth disease
  • Hib – Haemophilus influenzae type b (vaccine)
  • HSP – Henoch-Schönlein purpura
  • IPV – Inactivated poliovirus vaccine
  • LBW – Low birth weight
  • MAS – Meconium aspiration syndrome
  • MenACWY – Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (serogroups A, C, W and Y)
  • MenB – Meningococcal serogroup B vaccine
  • MIS-C – Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children
  • MMR – Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine

See all 51 pediatric & neonatal abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.