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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou'll probably first see your family doctor or pediatrician. However, in some cases your child may also be referred to a doctor who specializes in treating children's hearts (pediatric cardiologist).
Because appointments can be brief and there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what you can expect from your child's doctor.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms your child is experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated. Try to keep track of how high your child's fever has been and how long it has lasted.
- Make a list of any medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that your child is taking.
- Ask a family member or friend to join you, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your appointment. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For Kawasaki disease, some basic questions to ask your child's doctor include:
- What's the most likely cause of my child's symptoms?
- Are there any other possible causes for his or her symptoms?
- Does my child need any tests?
- How long will the symptoms last?
- What treatments are available, and which do you recommend?
- What are the possible side effects of the treatments?
- Are there any steps I can take to make my child more comfortable?
- What signs or symptoms should I watch for that might indicate that he or she is getting worse?
- What's my child's long-term prognosis?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your child's doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your child's doctor may ask:
- When did your child first begin experiencing symptoms?
- How severe are the symptoms? How high has your child's fever been? How long did it last?
- What, if anything, seems to improve the symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen the symptoms?
- Has your child been exposed to any infectious diseases?
- Has your child been taking any medications?
- Does your child have any allergies?
What you can do in the meantime
Initially, you can give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) to reduce the fever and make him or her more comfortable. However, these products are not recommended for low fevers, and treating your child's fever will make it difficult to accurately measure how severe the fever is and the actual duration of the fever. Additionally, don't give your child aspirin without consulting the doctor first. Many viral infections begin with a fever, and children and teenagers taking aspirin during certain viral infections, such as chickenpox, has been associated with the development of Reye's syndrome — a rare but serious disorder.
- Kawasaki disease. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4634. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
- Sundel R. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of Kawasaki disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
- What is Kawasaki disease? Kawasaki Disease Foundation. http://www.kdfoundation.org/dl/kdfbrochure.pdf. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
- Sundel R. Epidemiology and etiology of Kawasaki disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
- Takahashi M. Cardiovascular sequelae of Kawasaki disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
- Sundel R. Initial treatment and prognosis of Kawasaki disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
- KDF bridges. Kawasaki Disease Foundation. http://www.kdfoundation.org/bridges.aspx. Accessed Dec. 19, 2008.
- Hoecker J (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 24, 2008.
