View source for Medicine:Infectious disease (medical specialty)

{{short description|Medical specialty dealing with the diagnosis, control and treatment of infections}}
{{Infobox medical specialty
| title        = Infectious disease
| synonym     = Infectious diseases, infectious medicine, infectious disease medicine
| subdivisions = 
| image        = Gram stain 01.jpg
| caption      = Gram stain of bacteria: a test frequently performed in infectiology to distinguish between different types of bacteria.
| system       = 
| diseases     = Infections, e.g. [[Medicine:Osteomyelitis|osteomyelitis]], [[Medicine:Pneumonia|pneumonia]], [[Medicine:Tuberculosis|tuberculosis]], [[Medicine:COVID-19|COVID-19]], 
HIV/AIDS, [[Medicine:Influenza|influenza]], also public health issues e.g. epidemics, [[Biology:Antimicrobial resistance|antimicrobial resistance]], [[Social:Bioterrorism|bioterrorism]]
| tests        = Gram staining, microbiological cultures (including blood cultures), [[Biology:Serology|serological tests]], [[Biology:Genotyping|genotyping]], [[Biology:Polymerase chain reaction|polymerase chain reaction (PCR)]], [[Medicine:Medical imaging|medical imaging]]
| specialist   = Infectious disease specialist, Infectiologist, Infectionist
| glossary     = Glossary of medicine
}}
'''Infectious diseases''', also known as '''infectiology''', is a medical specialty dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of complex infections. An infectious disease specialist's practice consists of managing nosocomial ([[Medicine:Hospital-acquired infection|healthcare-acquired]]) infections or community-acquired infections and is historically associated with travel medicine and tropical medicine.

==Scope==
Infectious diseases specialists typically serve as consultants to other physicians in cases of complex infections, and often manage patients with HIV/AIDS and other forms of immunodeficiency.<ref name="IDSA What is">{{Cite web|title = IDSA : What is an ID Specialist|url = http://www.idsociety.org/ID_Specialist|website = www.idsociety.org|access-date = 2015-10-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Infectious Diseases Specialty Description|publisher=American Medical Association|url=https://www.ama-assn.org/specialty/infectious-diseases-specialty-description}}</ref> Although many common infections are treated by physicians without formal expertise in infectious diseases, specialists may be consulted for cases where an infection is difficult to diagnose or manage. They may also be asked to help determine the cause of a fever of unknown origin.<ref name="IDSA What is"/><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.abmsdirectory.com/pdf/Resources_guide_physicians.pdf|title = ABMS Guide to Medical Specialties|access-date = 2015-11-14|archive-date = 2020-09-23|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200923131832/https://www.abmsdirectory.com/pdf/Resources_guide_physicians.pdf|url-status = dead}}</ref>

Specialists in infectious diseases can practice both in hospitals (inpatient) and clinics (outpatient). In hospitals, specialists in infectious diseases help ensure the timely diagnosis and treatment of acute infections by recommending the appropriate diagnostic tests to identify the source of the infection and by recommending appropriate management such as prescribing antibiotics to treat bacterial infections. For certain types of infections, involvement of specialists in infectious diseases may improve patient outcomes.<ref>{{Cite web|title = The Value of an Infectious Diseases Specialist {{!}} Safe HealthcareSafe Healthcare {{!}} Blogs {{!}} CDC|url = http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/2013/10/25/the-value-of-an-infectious-diseases-specialist/|website = blogs.cdc.gov|access-date = 2015-11-14|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117033347/http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/2013/10/25/the-value-of-an-infectious-diseases-specialist/|archive-date = 2015-11-17|url-status = dead}}</ref> In clinics, specialists in infectious diseases can provide long-term care to patients with chronic infections such as HIV/AIDS.

== History ==
Infectious diseases are historically associated with travel medicine and tropical medicine, as many diseases acquired in tropical and subtropical areas are infectious in nature.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jrcptb.org.uk/trainingandcert/ST3-SpR/Pages/Infectious-Diseases.aspx |title=Infectious Diseases |author=Joint Royal Colleges Postgraduate Training Board |access-date=2013-12-12 |archive-url=https://archive.is/20131212181532/http://www.jrcptb.org.uk/trainingandcert/ST3-SpR/Pages/Infectious-Diseases.aspx |archive-date=2013-12-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==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, [[Biology:Serology|serological tests]], [[Biology:Genotyping|genotyping]], and [[Biology:Polymerase chain reaction|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 ==
{{Infobox Occupation
| name              =
| image             =
| caption           =
| official_names    = Doctor, Medical Specialist, Infectious diseases Consultant
<!------------Details------------------->
| type              = Specialty
| activity_sector   = [[Medicine:Medicine|Medicine]]
| competencies      =
| formation         = [[Medicine:Doctor of Medicine|Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)]] or <br /> {{nowrap|[[Medicine:Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine|Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)]]}} or <br /> {{nowrap|Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery}} (M.B.B.S./MBChB)
| employment_field  = Hospitals, Clinics
| related_occupation=
}}

===United States===
In the United States, infectious diseases is a subspecialty of internal medicine and [[Medicine:Pediatrics|pediatrics]]<ref name="aamc">{{cite web | publisher = Association of American Medical Colleges | title = Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine | url = https://www.aamc.org/cim/specialty/list/us/339608/infectious_disease_-internal_medicine.html | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150206201010/https://www.aamc.org/cim/specialty/list/us/339608/infectious_disease_-internal_medicine.html | archive-date = 2015-02-06 }}</ref> i.e., an internist does at least an additional two years of a fellowship and a pediatrician does at least three years to qualify as an infectious diseases specialist and take the infectious diseases board certification exam of the American Board of Internal Medicine or the American Board of Pediatrics.  The exam has been given as a subspecialty of internal medicine since 1972 and as a subspecialty of pediatrics since 1994.<ref>{{cite web |title=Exam Administration History |url=https://www.abim.org/about/exam-information/exam-administration-history.aspx |website=abim.org |publisher=American Board of Internal Medicine |access-date=25 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Douvoyiannis |first1=Miltiadis |last2=Litman |first2=Nathan |last3=Belamarich |first3=Peter |last4=Goldman |first4=David L. |title=A survey of current and past Pediatric Infectious Diseases fellows regarding training |journal=BMC Medical Education |date=2011 |volume=11 |page=72 |doi=10.1186/1472-6920-11-72 |pmid=21943353 |pmc=3188472 }}</ref>
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==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.idsociety.org/ IDSA - Infectious Diseases Society of America]
{{Medicine}}

[[Category:Infectious diseases]]

{{Sourceattribution|Infectious disease (medical specialty)|1}}