Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Infectious disease, also known as infectiology, is a medical

Infectious disease
specialty dealing with the diagnosis, control and treatment of
(infectiology)
infections. An infectious disease specialist's practice may consist
largely of managing nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections, or
it may be out-patient based.

Contents
Scope
History
Gram stain of bacteria: a test
Investigations frequently performed in infectiology
Treatments
Synonyms Infectious diseases,
Training infectious medicine,
United States infectious disease
medicine, infectiology
References
Significant Infections, e.g.
External links diseases osteomyelitis,
pneumonia,
tuberculosis,
Scope HIV/AIDS, influenza,
also public health
Infectious diseases specialists typically serve as consultants to issues e.g. epidemics,
other physicians in cases of complex infections, and often antimicrobial
manage patients with HIV/AIDS and other forms of resistance,
bioterrorism
Immunodeficiency.[1] Although many common infections are
Significant Gram staining,
treated by physicians without formal expertise in infectious tests microbiological
diseases, specialists may be consulted for cases where an cultures (including
infection is difficult to diagnose. They may also be asked to help blood cultures),
determine the cause of a fever of unknown origin. [2] [1] serological tests,
genotyping,
Specialists in infectious diseases can practice both in hospitals polymerase chain
(inpatient) and clinics (outpatient). In hospitals, specialists in reaction (PCR),
infectious diseases help ensure the timely diagnosis and treatment medical imaging
of acute infections by recommending the appropriate diagnostic Specialist Infectious disease
tests to identify the source of the infection and by recommending specialist, Infectiologist
appropriate antibiotics to treat infection. For certain types of Glossary Glossary of medicine
infections, involvement of specialists in infectious diseases may
improve patient outcomes.[3] In clinics, specialists in infectious diseases can provide long-term care to
patients with chronic infections such as HIV/AIDS.

History
Infectious diseases is historically associated with travel medicine and tropical medicine, as many diseases
acquired in tropical and subtropical areas are infectious in nature.[4]
Investigations
Infectious diseases specialists employ a variety of diagnostic tests to help identify the pathogen that is
causing an infection. Common tests include Gram staining, blood cultures, serological tests, genotyping,
and polymerase chain reaction.

Treatments
Infectious diseases specialists employ a variety of antimicrobial agents to help treat infections. The type
of antimicrobial depends on the organism that is causing the infection. Antibiotics are used to treat
bacterial infections; antiviral agents treat viral infections; and antifungal agents treat fungal infections.

Training
Occupation
United States Names Doctor, Medical Specialist, Infectious
In the United States, infectious diseases is a diseases Consultant
subspecialty of internal medicine and Occupation Specialty
pediatrics[5] i.e., an internist does at least an type
additional two years of a fellowship and a Activity Medicine
pediatrician does at least three years to sectors
qualify as an infectious diseases specialist Description
and take the infectious diseases board Education Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or
certification exam of the American Board of required Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) or
Internal Medicine or the American Board of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
Pediatrics. The exam has been given as a
Fields of Hospitals, Clinics
subspecialty of internal medicine since 1972 employment
and as a subspecialty of pediatrics since
1994.[6][7]

References
1. "IDSA : What is an ID Specialist" (http://www.idsociety.org/ID_Specialist). www.idsociety.org.
Retrieved 2015-10-27.
2. "ABMS Guide to Medical Specialties" (http://www.abmsdirectory.com/pdf/Resources_guide_
physicians.pdf) (PDF).
3. "The Value of an Infectious Diseases Specialist | Safe HealthcareSafe Healthcare | Blogs |
CDC" (https://web.archive.org/web/20151117033347/http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/20
13/10/25/the-value-of-an-infectious-diseases-specialist/). blogs.cdc.gov. Archived from the
original (http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/2013/10/25/the-value-of-an-infectious-diseases
-specialist/) on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
4. Joint Royal Colleges Postgraduate Training Board. "Infectious Diseases" (https://archive.is/
20131212181532/http://www.jrcptb.org.uk/trainingandcert/ST3-SpR/Pages/Infectious-Disea
ses.aspx). Archived from the original (http://www.jrcptb.org.uk/trainingandcert/ST3-SpR/Pag
es/Infectious-Diseases.aspx) on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
5. "Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150206201010/http
s://www.aamc.org/cim/specialty/list/us/339608/infectious_disease_-internal_medicine.html).
Association of American Medical Colleges. Archived from the original (https://www.aamc.or
g/cim/specialty/list/us/339608/infectious_disease_-internal_medicine.html) on 2015-02-06.
 6. "Exam Administration History" (https://www.abim.org/about/exam-information/exam-adminis
tration-history.aspx). abim.org. American Board of Internal Medicine. Retrieved 25 April
2019.
7. Douvoyiannis, Miltiadis; Litman, Nathan; Belamarich, Peter; Goldman, David L. (2011). "A
survey of current and past Pediatric Infectious Diseases fellows regarding training" (https://
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3188472). BMC Medical Education. 11: 72.
doi:10.1186/1472-6920-11-72 (https://doi.org/10.1186%2F1472-6920-11-72).
PMC 3188472 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3188472). PMID 21943353
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21943353).

External links
Media related to Infectious disease at Wikimedia Commons

IDSA - Infectious Diseases Society of America (http://www.idsociety.org/)

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