Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease
Saint Louis University's Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases provides state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient care to children with acute and chronic infections.
Treatment is offered for a wide range of infections in children ranging in age from newborns to young adults. In addition to our clinical care, we educate medical students, residents and fellows on the latest advances in the field. Our division is also active in clinical research with a focus on vaccine clinical trials, infections in immunocompromised children and neonatal infections.
Clinical Activities
Our pediatric infectious diseases physicians and nurses take pride in providing compassionate
care to children. Our physicians see children while they are admitted to the hospital
to help ensure that infections are prompty detected and the optimal treatment is started.
We also see children in our outpatient clinic. Our pediatric infectious diseases physicians
take the time to make sure children and their caregivers understand our diagnosis
and treatment recommendations. We welcome you to ask any questions you may have about
your child's care.
Examples of the types of infections we diagnose and treat:
- Bone and joint infections
- Complicated pneumonia
- Sepsis or bloodstream infections
- Congenital infections in newborns
- Recurrent strep throat
- Persistent or recurrent fevers
- Fungal infections such as histoplasmosis
- Recurrent skin infections
- Infections in children who have had a bone marrow or solid organ transplant
- Infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria
- Prevention of infection in children traveling abroad
Hospital Leadership
Our faculty work closely with the infection prevention nurses to reduce the risk of
a hospital acquired infection. Wail Hayajneh, M.D., is the medical director of infection
prevention for the hospital.
Our faculty also work alongside our pharmacy colleagues as part of the Antimicrobial
Stewardship Program (ASP). These efforts ensure that antimicrobials are used properly
so that we do not contribute to resistant bacteria in the patient or our community.
This program is run by Aaron Miller, M.D., and Jeanine Cain, PharmD.
Nour Hasan, M.D., and Zacharoula Oikonomopoulou, M.D., lead our transplant/immunocompromised
host id team. They lead our efforts to help prevent, diagnose and treat infections
that occur in this population.
Education
Our pediatric infectious diseases division is passionate about teaching and has received numerous awards for educating medical students, pediatric residents and infectious diseases fellows. We provide this education in a variety of ways including bedside teaching and lectures to the medical students and residents.
Clinical Research
Our faculty are actively engaged in clinical research to help find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat infections in children. Examples of our current projects include clinical trials to develop an improved influenza vaccine, research to improve the diagnosis of congenital syphilis, and research to improve the treatment of viral infections in children who have had a solid organ transplant.