Overview

Conditions We Treat

We see children with a broad range of infectious diseases, including:

Bone and Joint Infections

Bacteria can infect bones or joints, causing pain, swelling and redness. Doctors treat bone and joint infections with antibiotic medicines and sometimes with surgery. When children need surgery, our infectious disease experts work with doctors who have special training in caring for problems with bones and joints (orthopedic surgeons). Infections in the bones and joints can cause long-term pain and disability, but with proper treatment, most can be cured before they cause serious problems.

Fever of Unknown Origin (FUO)

Many conditions can cause fever, including infections. Fever of unknown origin is a fever that has no source that doctors have identified, and that lasts longer than two weeks.

Lymphadenitis

Lymphadenitis is swelling and tenderness (inflammation) in one or more of the lymph nodes due to an infection. The infection usually is caused by bacteria and often can be treated with antibiotic medicine. Lymphadenitis most often affects the lymph nodes in the neck.

Atypical Mycobacterial Infection

There are many types of mycobacteria that cause infections, including one that causes tuberculosis. Atypical mycobacteria cause infections that are not passed from person to person and are less severe than tuberculosis. Atypical mycobacterial infections can affect the skin, lymph nodes, lungs and other parts of the body.

Recurrent Fever

Children may have recurrent fever when they meet three conditions: They have three or more fevers within a six-month period, the fevers occur at least a week apart, and there appears to be no illness causing the fevers. Many infections, including those caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites, may be the cause of a recurrent fever. Some diseases that are passed from parent to child in genes (genetic) also cause recurrent fever.

Serious or Unusual Infections

These infections include tuberculosis, malaria and unusual infections your child may get while traveling.

Hospital Follow-up of Invasive Infections

We provide care for children who can leave the hospital, but who still need to get antibiotic medicines through a vein (IV antibiotics) once they are at home. Often, these medicines are used to treat infections such as meningitis, bloodstream infections, and brain and soft tissue sores (abscesses).

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Infections

Group B Streptococcal Disease (GBS) is the most common cause of serious bacterial infection in newborn babies. As many as one in every four pregnant women carries the bacteria and is at risk of having a baby infected with GBS. Not every baby whose mother carries GBS gets sick, but one in 20 babies with GBS dies from the infection. Survivors may have long-term problems, such as lung damage, hearing or vision problems, or brain damage. To prevent GBS from infecting newborn babies, all pregnant women should be tested for GBS. If you have GBS, getting antibiotic medicines during labor and delivery protects most babies from GBS infection....read more (PDF)

Group B Strep (GBS)

Group B Streptococcal Disease (GBS) is the most common cause of serious bacterial infection in newborn babies. As many as one in every four pregnant women carries the bacteria and is at risk of having a baby infected with GBS. Not every baby whose mother carries GBS gets sick, but one in 20 babies with GBS dies from the infection. Survivors may have long-term problems, such as lung damage, hearing or vision problems, or brain damage. To prevent GBS from infecting newborn babies, all pregnant women should be tested for GBS. If you have GBS, getting antibiotic medicines during labor and delivery protects most babies from GBS infection....read more

Subspecialties We Offer

• Virology