Infectious Diseases

The best in infection detection

Infections are a common part of childhood, but some infections can bother children for long periods of time—potentially their entire lives—or have very serious symptoms that need specialized treatment. That’s where Children’s Minnesota comes in. The infectious diseases department of Children’s Minnesota diagnoses and treats acute and chronic infectious diseases, in both hospitalized patients and outpatient/clinical settings. Our group has broad expertise with bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections. We also evaluate children with recurrent fevers for possible periodic fever syndromes. Each doctor and nurse practitioner in the department has certain areas of focus, (such as tuberculosis, tropical diseases and immunizations) which gives us the most up-to-date insight on pinpointing, treating and preventing infectious diseases. Additionally, we’re known across the state for our Minnesota Perinatal and Pediatric HIV Program, which provides clinical care and support services to families affected by HIV.

A collaborative approach

When children have too many or unusual infections, we consider possible immune deficiency diagnoses and work with our clinical immunology team to help. We also work closely with our colleagues in cancer and blood disorders, and genomic medicine. Whether a child is born with a viral infection, develops a bacterial infection or picks up a travel-related illness while out of the country, we have the knowledge and treatments to help get delicate immune systems back in balance.

We’re all in this together

We recognize that children’s illnesses can have profound effects on the families who care for them. As part of our commitment to family-centered care, we take time to understand the families’ capabilities and needs so that each treatment plan can fit an individual child. This is particularly important for our children with primary immunodeficiencies or HIV infection, who require lifelong care and support by medical and non-medical specialists alike. Our patient families tell us that they appreciate the time we spend with them, as we thoughtfully listen to them describe their child’s illness, explain our diagnostic plan (and hopefully the diagnosis we find), and support them through the entire course of treatment. We always work to be available to families—you’re our partners in care.