What is "MIS-C" for children after new corona infection 17:13 on January 24
A child suddenly complains of fever, vomiting, and eye pain.
After some time has passed since being infected with the new coronavirus, children have been complaining of these symptoms one after another.
The diagnosis is "MIS-C", pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome.
Deaths have also been reported in Europe and the United States, and the actual situation has become clear in Japan as well.
(Utsunomiya Broadcasting Station reporter Kazuaki Hirama)
a doctor who examined a patient
I am Dr. Daisuke Matsubara from Jichi Medical University Hospital in Tochigi Prefecture.
In October two years ago, I diagnosed a patient with MIS-C for the first time in Tochigi Prefecture.
Until the summer of that year, Dr. Matsubara was treating MIS-C patients at an American hospital.
At that time, he was surprised to hear that there were few cases of children being diagnosed with MIS-C in Japan.
Dr. Daisuke Matsubara, Jichi Medical University Hospital
"I got a call from the doctor on duty at night, and a little while ago, I got a call from a child who was infected with Corona and had a fever, and I didn't really know what kind of condition he was in, so maybe MIS. I thought it was -C."
The patient is an 11-year-old boy
An 11-year-old boy living in Tochigi Prefecture was diagnosed with MIS-C.
He was an active boy who loved sports.
The first incident occurred one month after the infection with the new corona.
He suddenly complained of fever of 39 degrees and nausea.
The nausea gradually increased to the extent that I could not drink water.
When I visited my family's pediatrician, the diagnosis was "gastroenteritis".
However, the symptoms did not improve at all.
In addition, the boy was complaining of intense pain behind his eyes.
He said that even when he was inside the house, he could not open his eyes because of the bright light.
For this reason, when he visited an ophthalmologist near his home, he was diagnosed with suspected "Crohn's disease," an intractable disease.
During this time, his condition worsened rather than improved.
Father “Painful Memories”
The boy visited his family's pediatrician again.
He went to Jichi Medical University Hospital with a letter of referral, saying that he needed a detailed examination, and he was diagnosed with MIS-C for the first time.
It's been a week since the incident happened.
The boy remains hospitalized.
He said his heart was working worse at one point.
His father e-mailed me how he was feeling at the time.
Father
: “I was very worried until I found out the cause. I have painful memories of the time my husband and I talked about what to do if we couldn’t play our favorite sport.”
life-threatening
MIS-C was confirmed for the first time since the global spread of COVID-19.
Especially in Europe and the United States, several weeks after infection, children complained of fever, vomiting, and eye pain.
Subsequent studies revealed the following symptoms:
▽ Fever
▽ Vomiting
▽ Abdominal pain/diarrhea
▽ Eye pain/bloodshot
According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 9,000 children across the United States have been diagnosed with MIS-C by the end of November last year.
74 children have died.
One after another in Japan
I suspect that there are quite a few children with MIS-C in Japan as well.
A group of medical specialists, including Dr. Matsubara, conducted a nationwide survey for the first time targeting approximately 2,000 medical institutions.
As a result, it was found that at least 64 people nationwide were diagnosed with MIS-C.
There were no serious cases, but many were hospitalized and treated.
Dr. Daisuke Matsubara, Jichi Medical University Hospital
"I feel that there are about 100 people, including mild cases. If the infection of children continues, it is possible that the number of children suffering from MIS-C will increase little by little. I have"
“Difficulty in Diagnosis” Concerns Doctors
Furthermore, in the process of the nationwide survey, we found that there was confusion among medical institutions on the ground.
That is the difficulty of diagnosing MIS-C.
It is indistinguishable from Kawasaki disease, an infant disease of unknown cause.
Ibaraki Seinan Medical Center Hospital in Ibaraki Prefecture.
It is one of the medical institutions that hesitated in diagnosing whether it was MIS-C or Kawasaki disease.
It was three children who consulted a pediatrician who were at a loss for a diagnosis.
All three had experienced infection with the new coronavirus.
The doctor showed me an echocardiogram of an 8-year-old child.
Wiggling and irregular heartbeat.
MIS-C was suspected.
However, the doctor's diagnosis is Kawasaki disease.
This is because Kawasaki disease can also impair the function of the heart when it becomes severe.
Dr. Nobuyuki Ishikawa, Ibaraki Seinan Medical Center Hospital
"If you have been recently infected with the new corona, you will meet the diagnostic criteria for both MIS-C and Kawasaki disease. It is difficult to judge which one."
Challenges unique to Japan
In fact, the difficulty in diagnosing MIS-C or Kawasaki disease is a problem unique to Japan.
Kawasaki disease is more prevalent in Asia, including Japan, than in Europe and the United States.
In Japan, the number of children infected has increased rapidly since the epidemic of the Omicron strain of the new corona.
As a result, general medical institutions cannot distinguish between MIS-C and Kawasaki disease, and confusion is spreading.
Incorrect diagnosis may lead to inadequate treatment.
This is because the drugs used to treat MIS-C and Kawasaki disease may differ.
Creating easy-to-understand diagnostic criteria
In response to this situation, a group of medical specialists led by Dr. Matsubara, who conducted a nationwide survey, has begun efforts to create easy-to-understand diagnostic criteria for MIS-C.
This is an initiative to re-diagnose a total of approximately 100 cases, including those diagnosed with MIS-C and Kawasaki disease in a national survey, by a specialist instead of the attending physician.
The aim is to re-examine all cases in detail and lead to the creation of diagnostic criteria.
Dr. Daisuke Matsubara, Jichi Medical University Hospital
"I feel that the medical field is in trouble. When thinking about what kind of treatment is best, data cannot be accumulated unless a proper diagnosis is made. Experts gather. I think the best way to do it now is to make a diagnosis based on
Watch out for changes in children
It is only in the past year or so that the diagnosis of MIS-C began to be performed in Japan.
Even medical professionals do not fully understand MIS-C.
Experts believe that the number of children diagnosed with MIS-C may increase in the future as they coexist with the new corona.
If you complain of unexplained fever, vomiting, eye pain, etc. several weeks after infection, you should suspect MIS-C and consult a specialized medical institution.
Utsunomiya Broadcasting Station Reporter
Kazuaki Hirama Covering
the front lines of the medical field fighting the new coronavirus for three years