Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Care is delivered by University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP) specialists working closely with OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois to ensure you and your child receive coordinated care.
What are infectious diseases?
Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Most infections in children are mild, but some last longer than expected, keep coming back or affect organs like the brain, lungs or bones. Children with weakened immune systems may also need expert care. Pediatric infectious disease doctors are trained to evaluate these complex cases and guide the right treatment.
What to Expect at Your Appointment
If your child needs pediatric infectious diseases care, it is often because their current care team requested a consultation while they are in the hospital or recovering afterward. Most families do not seek out this specialty on their own.
During your visit, you can expect:
- A detailed review of your child’s health history and symptoms: Our pediatric infectious disease specialists take time to understand what your child has experienced, when symptoms began and how they have changed.
- A thorough physical exam: We look for patterns or signs that help narrow down possible causes.
- Targeted testing, only as needed: This may include lab work, imaging, cultures or other studies to identify the infection and guide treatment.
- Clear explanations: You will always know why a test or treatment is recommended.
- Coordination with your child’s primary care provider and other specialists: We work as part of your child’s care team, ensuring everyone is aligned on the plan.
- Follow-up care when needed: Some conditions require ongoing monitoring to ensure the infection fully resolves.
Meet Your Care Team
Your child’s care team may include a pediatric infectious disease doctor along with nurses, pharmacists, lab specialists and other pediatric experts involved in diagnosing and managing infections. We work together to review symptoms, interpret test results and recommend the safest, most effective treatment plan for your child.
Infectious Diseases We Treat
Our pediatric infectious diseases team evaluates and manages a wide range of conditions, including:
- Advice before traveling
- Any child on prolonged IV antibiotic secondary to infection
- Any infectious disease-related questions raised by pediatricians
- Chronic diarrhea
- Congenital infections
- Discitis
- Empyema and lung abscesses
- Eosinophilia
- Fever after traveling
- Fever and rash
- Fever of unknown origin or periodic fever
- Follow-ups from meningitis and encephalitis
- Immigrant kids for investigation and follow-up
- Infections in immunocompromised patients
- Latent tuberculosis
- Lymphadenopathy and hepato-splenomegaly for investigation
- Meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess
- MRSA infections
- Osteomyelitis
- Recurrent meningitis
- Recurrent pneumonia
- Recurrent skin abscesses
- Screening and workup for children who are adopted
- Tuberculosis, pulmonary or extrapulmonary
This list is not all-inclusive. If your child has a complex or persistent infection, we are here to help.
Services We Provide for Infectious Diseases in Children
Our pediatric infectious disease specialists offer a full range of services to diagnose, treat and prevent infections, including:
- Care for children with immune deficiencies or immunosuppression
- Collaboration with other pediatric subspecialties for multidisciplinary care
- Comprehensive infectious disease consultations (inpatient and outpatient)
- Coordination of diagnostic testing and advanced imaging
- Evaluation of complex or recurrent infections
- Follow-up care after hospitalization for serious infections
- Management of long-term or IV antibiotic therapy
- Travel evaluations and pre-travel immunization guidance
- Tuberculosis testing, diagnosis and treatment
This clinic is provided by UICOMP at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, and all billing, referrals and scheduling follow UICOMP processes.
Ask for a Referral
Need compassionate, effective treatment for your child’s disease? Contact your primary care provider about a referral to UICOMP pediatric infectious disease. Need a primary care provider? Browse our directory.
