Infectious Disease Care

Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by the spread of microorganisms in the body. In serious cases, some people with an infectious disease may need specialized acute care to fully recover. This includes, but is not limited to, people with severe sepsis symptoms, complications of pneumonia and long-lasting kidney infection symptoms.

Although anyone can get an infectious disease, people with medically compromised immune systems are at a higher risk, including those with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other conditions that affect the body’s ability to defend itself against infections. Elderly people and those who are malnourished are also at an increased risk of acquiring an infectious disease.

The immune system itself, while indispensable and often remarkable, can sometimes react badly to an invasion and make the problem worse. Sepsis is caused by the body’s dangerous and potentially life-threatening response to an infection. Sepsis symptoms include fever and chills, low body temperature, rapid pulse, decreased urination, rapid breathing, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Most people recover from mild sepsis, but severe sepsis symptoms, like changes in mental ability, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and loss of consciousness often require treatment in an intensive care unit. Untreated, sepsis can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and even death.

The primary treatment for sepsis is antibiotics, which are often administered via intravenous (IV) line. Clinicians will monitor and adjust  the amount (titration) and type of antibiotic as needed. Vasoconstrictors may also be used to decrease the diameter of blood vessels, which helps push the antibiotics into the central circulatory system. Examples of these medications include norepinephrine (or Levophed), phenylephrine (or Neo-Synephrine), vasopressin or epinephrine.

Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs and fills them with fluid and debris, causing coughing with phlegm or pus, fever, chills and difficulty breathing. Though it is often successfully treated, complications of pneumonia are possible and can be very dangerous, especially for patients who have underlying respiratory conditions. In the most severe cases, pneumonia can cause respiratory failure, making ventilator support necessary to facilitate breathing. 

Cellulitis is a common bacterial infection that affects the skin and the soft tissue underneath. It occurs when bacteria, most often streptococcus or staphylococcus, enters through a break in the skin. Cellulitis causes swelling, redness, pain and warmth, and can affect nearly all parts of the body. If left untreated, cellulitis can spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream and become life-threatening.  

Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone. In severe cases, the infection and resulting inflammation can block blood vessels, thereby reducing the flow of oxygen and nutrients, causing the bone and surrounding tissue to die. Risk factors for osteomyelitis include advanced age, recent injury, surgery, circulation disorders, IV line use, immunocompromising conditions, illicit drug use.  

Intravenous therapy involves the introduction of fluids directly into a person’s bloodstream through a vein. A person might require IV therapy if they have a medically complex condition that prevents them from taking medications orally, if rapid onset of the medication is necessary, or if the medication must be administered in a controlled way over time. Some intravenous drugs are also administered that way because if they are taken orally, they will be broken down by stomach enzymes before they can take effect.

In preparation for intravenous therapy, an IV catheter is inserted into a patient’s vein, so that healthcare providers can access it continuously without having to insert a needle multiple times. Long-term intravenous medication therapy usually requires a central venous catheter (CVC), which can stay in place for weeks or months and is inserted into a vein in a person’s neck, chest, arm or groin.