Intravenous Gamma Globulin For The Treatment Of Kawasaki Disease: A Systematic Review Of Chinese Literature

BackgroundKawasaki disease is the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children in most part of the world. The coronary arteries can be seriously damaged in Kawasaki disease, even leading to sudden death. The principal advantage of timely diagnosis is the potential to prevent this complication with early treatment with intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG). ObjectivesThe objective of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness and adverse effects of IVGG in treating of Kawasaki disease in children. Search strategyElectronic searches of China national knowledge infrastructure (Cnki) digital library (last searched December 29th,2005) and Chinese medical current contents (CMCC)( last searched March 4th,2006) were performed. We also searched references from relevant articles and contacted authors where necessary. Selection criteriaPublished randomized controlled trials of intravenous gamma globulin to treat Kawasaki disease in Chinese were eligible for inclusion. Data collection and analysisTwo hundred and sixteen trials were identified in the initial search of Cnki. Search of CMCC yielded 210 abstracts. After obtaining the full paper, only thirty-three of these met all the inclusion criteria. Trials were data extracted and assessed for quality by at least two reviewers. Data were combined for meta-analysis using odds ratios (OR) for dichotomous data or weighted mean...