The Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases provides a full-time consultation service for patients admitted to St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The hospital’s 400 beds include a new state-of-the art 40-bed pediatric intensive care unit, a 12-bed cardiac intensive care unit, a large neonatal intensive care unit (>130 beds), dialysis/pheresis and infusion centers, two cardiac catheterization laboratories, an interventional radiology suite, and an active Emergency Department (with >50,000 patient visits per year). The ID Division performs over 800 inpatient consultations per year. The Hospital has a large oncology service and active transplantation programs in stem cell, heart, heart-lung, lung, kidney, and liver; these patients are cared for by our specialized ‘immunocompromised ID’ service.
Patients referred for evaluation or management of a variety of other infectious diseases are seen in our general Infectious Diseases clinics, held on Monday afternoons at the Children’s Specialty Care Center (I-64/40 and Mason Road), Wednesday mornings at CSCC South (I-55 and Butler Hill Road), and Thursday mornings in Suite 2D at St. Louis Children’s Hospital (location and driving directions). Arrangements can also be made for urgent outpatient consultations. Conditions treated in general Infectious Diseases clinics include:
- Bacterial infections involving the bones, joints, lungs, lymph nodes, brain, skin, or any other site
- Conditions producing diagnostic dilemmas, such as fever of unknown origin, recurrent infections, or rashes of unknown type or origin
- Opportunistic infections in patients who are immunosuppressed due to acquired or congenital immunodeficiency, transplant, or other medical condition
- Tick-transmitted and other vector-borne diseases
- Unusual infections such as those caused by fungi, mycobacteria, or drug-resistant pathogens
The division provides care for infants and young children with possible or confirmed HIV infection in the Pediatric HIV clinic, Monday afternoons at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Suite 2D (location and driving directions). Adolescents with HIV infection are seen at The SPOT. These efforts are partially supported by a Ryan White Title IV grant, which funds regional pediatric HIV services. The pediatric HIV clinics see nearly 400 patient visits per year, following over 100 patients with HIV infection and dozens more at any given time who were HIV-exposed at birth.
Other Specialized Clinical Services
Project A.R.K. (AIDS/HIV Resources and Knowledge)
Project A.R.K. draws together several organizations interested in pediatric HIV to establish a unified comprehensive system of care that provides for the medical, psychosocial and educational needs of HIV-infected children and their families living in the bi-state region (eastern Missouri and southern Illinois). Outreach education and prevention and linkages with clinical research trials are additional goals of this project, which is funded by Ryan White Title IV and allows a multidisciplinary approach to care. Many groups are involved in Project A.R.K., including St. Louis Children’s Hospital at Washington University, Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital at St. Louis University, a number of primary care providers, the adolescent program at the Family Health Center, the Helena Hatch Special HIV Care Center for Women at Washington University, and community HIV service providers. Kim Donica, LCSW, is the Executive Director and oversees administration of the center.
Orthopedics/ID Clinic
We care for many children with infections of bones, joints, or muscles. These infections are commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria. In the Ortho/ID clinic, patients receive one-stop care from their infectious diseases provider and orthopedics surgeon or nurse practitioner. In addition, physical therapy, orthotics, and other services are at the ready.
Travel Clinic
The travel clinic will provide pre- and post-travel consultations for any person traveling for work, leisure, volunteering or studying abroad. The infectious disease specialists will help patients to plan for a safer, healthier international trip by providing tailored health recommendations and administering vaccinations (including typhoid, hepatitis A, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and others) required per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. We will see and provide vaccines and pre-travel medications for the whole family in one visit! Appointments are available on Monday afternoons or Thursday mornings.
International Adoption Clinic
The International Adoption Clinic was founded in 2008 by division faculty member Rachel Orscheln, MD, as a portal of entry for newly adopted children to receive a global evaluation and gain access to multispecialty care and therapies. In addition to thorough screening for infectious diseases and a review of vaccination needs, these children are referred for developmental/neurologic evaluations, hearing assessments, and occupational and physical therapy as needed.