“The infectious diseases department is a branch of science that studies diseases caused by infections. These diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.”

What Is Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology?

Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology evaluates clinical, microbiological, serological, and radiological characteristics. This enables the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In addition to treatment, it also has an important place in preventive health services.

What Diseases Does Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Treat?

In the world and in our country, approximately half of patients with fever have infectious diseases. Then rheumatological diseases, cancers, and other diseases follow.

Microorganisms that cause infections not only cause disease in the patient but also spread the disease by infecting people around them. Therefore, in addition to treating infections, it is our duty to protect healthy individuals.

Vaccines are important for healthy people with diabetes, heart, lung diseases, or those using immunosuppressive drugs. Flu, pneumonia, meningitis, and shingles vaccines should be administered. Additionally, giving preventive antimicrobial drugs, vaccines, and serums to healthy people is also our responsibility.

We can list infections of all parts of our body from top to bottom as follows:

» Central Nervous System Infections:
Meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess, and other infections affecting the brain and spinal cord.

» Head and Neck Infections:
Sinusitis, otitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and other upper respiratory tract infections.

» Heart and Lung Infections:
Pneumonia, tuberculosis, endocarditis, pericarditis, and other cardiopulmonary infections.

» Gastrointestinal Infections:
Dysentery, cholera, food poisoning, typhoid, and other intestinal infections.

» Genital and Urinary System Infections:
Urethritis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, kidney abscess, prostatitis, and infections affecting female genital organs.

» Skin and Soft Tissue Infections:
Cellulitis, erysipelas, and other skin infections.

» Bone and Joint Infections:
Osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, and other musculoskeletal infections.

Common Infectious Diseases

» Seasonal Respiratory Infections:
Covid disease seen due to the recent pandemic, flu, other viral diseases of the upper respiratory tract, tonsillitis and pharyngitis caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, sinusitis and otitis in the upper respiratory tract. The diagnosis and treatment of these diseases affect almost the entire population, especially seasonally in autumn, winter, and spring.

» Lung Infections:
Pneumonia and tuberculosis with fever and cough, and infections affecting the heart such as endocarditis or pericarditis show special importance as the most dangerous infectious diseases.

» Summer Intestinal Infections:
Mostly in summer, intestinal infections such as dysenteries, cholera, and food poisoning are important diseases. Also, typhoid disease transmitted through water and food is one of the common diseases that should be paid attention to in our country in summer.

» Brucellosis:
Brucellosis, transmitted through cheese and creams made from raw or undercooked milk in rural areas, characterized by fever, sweating, and joint pain, is also a disease we frequently encounter in our country.

» Tick-Borne Diseases:
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and Lyme disease developing due to tick attachment during the April-October period in our country are also important infectious diseases.

» Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Diseases:
AIDS transmitted through blood, body fluids, and sexual contact. Diagnosis and treatment of urethritis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, kidney abscess, prostatitis, and infections affecting the urinary and genital system are performed.

» Healthcare-Associated Infections:
Especially post-operative healthcare-associated infections, infections developing in intensive care and with aging are also situations concerning Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology specialty.

» Travel-Related Infections:
Diagnosis and treatment of many microbial diseases developing due to travel are also performed.

What Are the Diagnostic Methods of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology?

» Direct Microscopic Examination and Stained Preparations:
Initial visualization of microorganisms under microscope.

» Culture:
Aerobic and anaerobic cultures, fungal and tuberculosis cultures from blood, urine, stool, sputum, and all body fluids.

» PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction):
Molecular testing from respiratory tract samples, stool, and other body secretions for rapid and accurate pathogen identification.

» Serological Tests:
Antigen and antibody examinations in serum using ELISA and other methods to detect immune responses to infections.

What Are the Treatment Methods of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology?

Oral or intravenous antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiparasitic drugs are used for the causative agent of the infection. The Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Specialist makes agent-targeted treatment essential using microbiological methods.

Targeted Treatment

Treatment based on culture results and identification of the specific causative organism.

Empirical Treatment

When using antibiotics for treatment, sometimes serious conditions such as sepsis or meningitis occur. In these cases, the result of the agent is awaited. Also, in sinusitis disease where culture is not appropriate, antibiotics are started for the patient according to clinical and laboratory results. We call this empirical treatment, and we apply it in situations where waiting would worsen the patient’s condition.

Antibiotic Stewardship

Antibiotic use is unnecessary 50% of the time in the world and in our country. Upper respiratory tract infections such as pharyngitis and tonsillitis are caused by viruses 80-90% of the time, and unfortunately, unnecessary antibiotics are started. The correct approach is to give antibiotics according to culture results or antigen test results.

Antiviral Treatment

During seasonal transitions and winter months, upper respiratory tract infections affect a significant portion of the population. When flu is diagnosed in people in the risk group (elderly, diabetes, asthma or chronic lung, liver, kidney disease, children under 5 years old), antiviral treatment should be started within 48 hours.

Prophylactic Treatment

» Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis:
Antibiotic prophylaxis applied before surgery in patients who will undergo surgery.

» Disease Prophylaxis:
Prophylaxis applied to healthy people to protect against diseases such as malaria, meningitis, and tuberculosis.

» Post-Exposure Prophylaxis:
Antiviral treatment or immunoglobulin treatment applied when exposed to sexually transmitted diseases or other infectious exposures.

Other Treatments

» Antitoxic Serum Treatment:
Tetanus serum and similar treatments when necessary.

» Rabies Treatment:
Rabies vaccine and serum in rabies-suspected bites, administered 24 hours at centers determined by the Ministry of Health.

» Supportive Treatment:
Fluids and electrolytes, steroids, and antipyretic drugs other than antibiotics are applied as supportive treatment when necessary.