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6 Kawasaki Disease Nursing Care Plans

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By Paul Martin, BSN, R.N.

Learn about nursing care plans for Kawasaki disease, a rare but serious condition affecting young children. Discover assessment and diagnostic criteria, as well as effective treatment and management strategies for this disease. With our guide, nurses can develop comprehensive care plans to improve patient outcomes and promote better health and well-being.

What is Kawasaki Disease?

Kawasaki Disease (mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome) is an acute systemic vasculitis of unknown origin that occurs usually in children less than 5 years of age. The disease is self-limiting, however, about 20% of those untreated will likely develop a cardiac complication such as coronary arteritis and aneurysm formation.

The disease is divided into 3 phases: the acute phase is described by progressive small blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis) accompanied by high fever, inflammation of the pharynx, dry, reddened eyes, swollen hands and feet, rash, and cervical lymphadenopathy. In the subacute phase, the manifestations disappear, but there is inflammation of larger vessels and the child is at highest risk of developing coronary aneurysms. In the convalescent phase (6-8 weeks after onset), signs and symptoms slowly go away, but laboratory values are not completely normal.

There are no specific tests to confirm Kawasaki disease, but normally the diagnosis is established on the basis of the child exhibiting at least 5 of 6 criterion manifestations. Treatment started within 10 days of symptoms often prevents the development of complications.

Nursing Care Plans

Nursing goals for a child with Kawasaki disease may include increased understanding of the parents and child about the disease condition, medical treatment and planned follow-up care, relief of pain, improved physical mobility, adequate coping, and absence of complications.

Here are six nursing care plans (NCP) and nursing diagnosis for Kawasaki Disease:

  1. Hyperthermia
  2. Acute Pain
  3. Impaired Skin Integrity
  4. Impaired Physical Mobility
  5. Impaired Oral Mucous Membrane
  6. Anxiety

1. Hyperthermia

Hyperthermia

Patients with Kawasaki disease, a condition that causes inflammation in blood vessels throughout the body, may experience hyperthermia or high fever as part of their symptoms. Nursing care plans must prioritize measures to lower the patient’s fever and monitor their vital signs to prevent complications related to hyperthermia.

Nursing Diagnosis

  • Hyperthermia

May be related to

  • Inflammatory disease process.

Possibly evidenced by

  • Fever as high as 104°F that lasts for more than 5 days
  • Hot, flushed skin
  • Chills or shivering
  • Loss of appetite

Desired Outcomes

  • The child will maintain a normal temperature.

Nursing Assessment and Rationale

1. Monitor temperature every 4 hours; every 2 hours if elevated.
Kawasaki disease initially begins with a high fever (102° to 104°F) for 5 or more days in duration.

Nursing Interventions and Rationales

1. Provide sponge baths for temperatures over 101°F.
A tepid sponge bath promotes heat loss through conduction and evaporation.

2. Provide adequate rest periods.
Bed rest decreases metabolic demands and oxygen consumption.

3. Use a cooling blanket for higher temperatures that do not respond to antipyretics.
Extra wrapping of extremities prevents shivering; shivering promotes further heat.

4. Encourage adequate fluid intake as indicated.
If the child is dehydrated or diaphoretic, fluid loss contributes to fever.

5. Administer medication as indicated.

  • 5.1. Aspirin. It is an anti-inflammatory drug that is given to reduce inflammation.
  • 5.2. IV immunoglobulin. It is given in single-dose to treat and reduce inflammation and thereby lessen the duration of fever.

1. Hyperthermia

Recommended nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan books and resources.

Disclosure: Included below are affiliate links from Amazon at no additional cost from you. We may earn a small commission from your purchase. For more information, check out our privacy policy.

Ackley and Ladwig’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care
We love this book because of its evidence-based approach to nursing interventions. This care plan handbook uses an easy, three-step system to guide you through client assessment, nursing diagnosis, and care planning. Includes step-by-step instructions showing how to implement care and evaluate outcomes, and help you build skills in diagnostic reasoning and critical thinking.

Nursing Care Plans – Nursing Diagnosis & Intervention (10th Edition)
Includes over two hundred care plans that reflect the most recent evidence-based guidelines. New to this edition are ICNP diagnoses, care plans on LGBTQ health issues, and on electrolytes and acid-base balance.

Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales
Quick-reference tool includes all you need to identify the correct diagnoses for efficient patient care planning. The sixteenth edition includes the most recent nursing diagnoses and interventions and an alphabetized listing of nursing diagnoses covering more than 400 disorders.

Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care 
Identify interventions to plan, individualize, and document care for more than 800 diseases and disorders. Only in the Nursing Diagnosis Manual will you find for each diagnosis subjectively and objectively – sample clinical applications, prioritized action/interventions with rationales – a documentation section, and much more!

All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource – E-Book: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Maternity, and Psychiatric-Mental Health 
Includes over 100 care plans for medical-surgical, maternity/OB, pediatrics, and psychiatric and mental health. Interprofessional “patient problems” focus familiarizes you with how to speak to patients.

See also

Other recommended site resources for this nursing care plan:

Other nursing care plans for pediatric conditions and diseases:

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Paul Martin, BSN, R.N.
Paul Martin R.N. brings his wealth of experience from five years as a medical-surgical nurse to his role as a nursing instructor and writer for Nurseslabs, where he shares his expertise in nursing management, emergency care, critical care, infection control, and public health to help students and nurses become the best version of themselves and elevate the nursing profession.

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