Division of Infectious Disease

The practice of infectious diseases medicine is always evolving in response to new and evolving infectious agents and changing infectious diseases epidemiology.  Division faculty strive to be in the forefront of all aspects of the science and art of infectious diseases.  Areas of special expertise include hospital infection control, orthopedic infections, endocarditis, infectious diarrhea and travel medicine.

The Division of Infectious Disease provides clinical and administrative services in support of Medical University Hospital, and the Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center.  Multiple teams see patients with general infectious diseases problems, HIV, and solid organ transplant related infections.  The Division supervises the Infection Control programs of both hospitals as well as antibiotic stewardship efforts.

An outpatient clinic is staffed daily at Rutledge Tower.  The Division also staffs a Travel Medicine Clinic at University Medical Associates Clinics in Mount Pleasant and is working to staff a clinic for the management of orthopedic infections at the MUSC Bone and Joint Clinic in West Ashley. 

Division faculty provide a service that is unique among infectious diseases providers.  Innovative types of peripherally inserted central venous lines are placed in our MUHA facility that is supported by ultrasound and fluoroscopy and can manage patients up to 1000 pounds.  The lines may be antibiotic impregnated, tunneled or cuffed.  For the difficult to access patient, the axillary vein is often used.  Line placement is available to outpatients as well as inpatients.

The Division provides teaching services to the College of Medicine in many ways.  Lectures are given in the microbiology course for the medical students, and the consultative teams and outpatient clinics provide learning opportunities for medical students and residents.  A two year fellowship is available for medical residents wishing to specialize in infectious diseases. An additional research year is also offered for qualified candidates.

The Division is strengthening its research actives.  The most active areas of interest at this time are control of the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the hospital setting, orthopedic infections, endocarditis and HIV associated infections. 

Demands placed on the Division of Infectious Disease continue to grow, and it is anticipated that the Division will expand to meet that demand in the coming years.