When your child is unwell, finding the right medical care is your top priority. For common illnesses, your pediatrician is usually the first point of contact. However, when your child faces a complex or unusual infection, you might need to seek specialized expertise. If you’re searching for an “Infectious Diseases Doctor Near Me,” understanding when and why to choose a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases is crucial.
At Children’s Hospital Colorado, our Infectious Disease Program offers comprehensive care for infants, children, and adolescents. Our team of experts is dedicated solely to treating young patients, ensuring your child receives the specialized care they deserve.
Why Pediatric Infectious Disease Expertise Matters
While many infections in children can be managed by general pediatricians, certain situations necessitate the expertise of a pediatric infectious disease specialist. These specialists have in-depth knowledge and experience in diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of infectious diseases affecting children, from common to rare and complex cases.
Reasons to consider a pediatric infectious disease doctor:
- Unique or Persistent Symptoms: If your child’s symptoms are unusual, severe, or don’t improve with standard treatment, a specialist can provide advanced diagnostic and treatment strategies.
- Complex Medical History: Children with weakened immune systems, chronic conditions, or those who have undergone transplants are more vulnerable to infections requiring specialized management.
- Specific Infections: Certain infections, like bone and joint infections, meningitis, Kawasaki disease, and HIV infections in children, require the specialized care offered by infectious disease experts.
- Regional Expertise: As a leading center, Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Infectious Disease Program serves as a regional resource, offering advanced care and consultation for complex cases.
Our team at Children’s Hospital Colorado is at the forefront of pediatric infectious disease care. We are actively involved in research and clinical trials, driving advancements in understanding and treating fungal, bacterial, and viral infections in children. Our doctors are recognized for significant medical contributions, including the discovery of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), and have received national accolades for their expertise in areas like flu, viral infections, immunizations, Kawasaki disease, HIV, and infectious disease management protocols. This level of expertise ensures your child benefits from the most up-to-date and effective treatments available.
Conditions We Treat
Our Infectious Disease Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado manages a wide array of infectious conditions in children, including but not limited to:
- Common Childhood Infections: Pneumonia, meningitis, viral illnesses.
- Serious Infections: Bone and joint infections, infections in immunocompromised children, neonatal infections.
- Specific Diseases: Kawasaki disease, Clostridium difficile (C. diff), pediatric and adolescent HIV infections.
- Other Conditions: Rashes of infectious origin, unexplained or prolonged fevers, and many other complex infectious diseases.
For a more detailed list of conditions we treat, please view more.
Comprehensive Infectious Disease Services
As a trusted resource for families and healthcare providers, our program at Children’s Hospital Colorado sees approximately 4,000 patients annually. We provide a full spectrum of services to meet the diverse needs of our patients:
- Infectious Disease Inpatient Consultation: Our specialists provide expert consultation for children hospitalized with serious infections. We collaborate closely with your child’s primary care physician and hospital team to ensure accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plans for conditions like pneumonia, meningitis, bone and joint infections, prolonged fevers, and Kawasaki Disease.
- Infectious Diseases Outpatient Clinic: Our outpatient clinic focuses on diagnosing and managing infections in children who do not require hospitalization. We treat recurrent fevers, unusual infections, and provide ongoing care for children with long-term infectious disease needs. We also offer expertise in infection control and the management of various infectious diseases in the outpatient setting.
- Epidemiology and Public Health: Beyond individual patient care, our program plays a vital role in community health. We oversee epidemiology at Children’s Hospital Colorado and contribute to broader public health efforts. This includes hospital-wide infection control initiatives, analysis of disease trends, clinical epidemiology studies, diagnostic test utilization optimization, pharmacoepidemiology, microbial epidemiology, and disease prevention programs. We also actively participate with the Colorado Department of Health in tracking and managing reportable diseases, contributing to the overall health and safety of our community. We strongly advocate for vaccine-preventable disease awareness and prevention through comprehensive immunization programs.
Expert Consultation for Healthcare Providers
Recognized as regional experts, our Infectious Disease consultation team at Children’s Hospital Colorado receives around 4,000 inquiries each year from healthcare providers seeking referrals, information, and expert consultations. Our attending physicians and fellows are available 24/7 for telephone consultations to physicians throughout the Rocky Mountain region. We also provide support to the hospital’s microbiology and virology laboratories, collaborate with four transplant teams, and host weekly case management conferences, further extending our expertise and support network.
If you are a parent seeking specialized care for your child’s infection, or a healthcare provider looking for expert consultation, the Infectious Disease Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado is here to help. We are committed to providing exceptional, child-focused care and advancing the field of pediatric infectious diseases. When you search for an “infectious diseases doctor near me,” remember that Children’s Hospital Colorado offers leading expertise and compassionate care, right in your region.
