Pediatric Inflammatory Syndrome is closely related to Kawasaki Disease, and it's affecting hundreds of children across the United States.
A few of those cases are right here in Louisiana.
"In Louisiana, we tend to see more in the teenage range," Dr. Katie Lindle, pediatric cardiologist with Ochsner, said. "Saying that, we are seeing it all age ranges. It's not like I can say, 'if you have a toddler, don't worry about it.' We're seeing it in all ages."
Lindle said, there are a number of symptoms related to this disease including runny nose, coughs, respiratory issues and abdominal pain.
"A lot more parents are seeing abdominal symptoms with this particular entity," Lindle explained. "If your child is complaining that they have abdominal pain, and it's more than the, "mommy, I don't want to go to school" type of pain--then you need to seek out medical help."
So what part does COVID-19 play in all of this?
Dr. Lindle said they are still trying to figure it all of that out. However, there are connections.
"The disease process itself is kind of that inflammation or irritation around the entire body," Lindle said. "What we see in hearts, in particular, is it affects the blood vessels that give blood to the heart. This can affect all vessels in the body. We are seeing that with Kawasaki and we're seeing the similar constellation of findings and organ changes with Covid. We're still learning about what the relationship is with the two. The treatments, fortunately, are working the same way we treated Kawasaki in the past."
Dr. Lindle said, that while they do not want parents to panic, understanding what to look for and when to bring your child in for treatment is key to saving their life.
