Infectious Diseases

Who we are

The PCH Infectious Diseases Department provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services for children and young people who have, or who are at higher risk of, infectious diseases.

Conditions we manage

Our staff are skilled and experienced in caring for children with conditions such as:

• Tuberculosis
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Complicated or resistant infections
• Issues relating to immunisation.

Services we provide

• Direct consultations with inpatients and outpatients
• Collaboration with colleagues in other medical teams who are involved with the patient's care, such General Paediatrics, Paediatric Critical Care, Oncology and Haematology, Immunology and Refugee Health Service
• A comprehensive Children’s Antimicrobial Management Program (ChAMP) to optimise the treatment of children with diagnosed or suspected infection through guideline development, inpatient review and phone advice
• Active involvement in the Hospital in the Home (HiTH) home visitation program
• Extensive consultation services and telephone advice across Western Australia to help doctors who are managing children with infectious diseases
• Close links to laboratory-based microbiology services provided by PathWest
• Clinical input into infection control and prevention strategies
• Internationally recognised infection and immunisation research.

Outpatient clinics

Our Department runs four outpatient clinics, which are structured across a fortnightly rotation. Urgent referrals are scheduled into any available spaces.

General Infectious Diseases Clinic

This clinic provides assessment, diagnosis and management for infections that are:

• chronic or recurrent
• acquired perinatally (before or shortly after birth)
• difficult to treat.

Combined Immunodeficiency Clinic

This clinic reviews patients who require input from both infectious diseases physicians and immunologists. This includes young people with HIV infections or exposure, as well as those with specific primary immunodeficiency. Our consultant-led clinic is supported by the clinic nurse consultant, social workers and advanced trainees in infectious diseases and immunology.

Tuberculosis Clinic 

Stan Perron Immunisation Service 

Immunisation is a safe and effective way of providing protection against harmful diseases.

A comprehensive immunisation service is now available to all children and their families attending Perth Children's Hospital (PCH). The service is comprised of specialist paediatricians and senior immunisation nurse specialists. It provides an opportunity for children and families to get routine vaccinations, advice and education regarding current immunisation recommendations and to meet the vaccination needs of medically at-risk children.

For more information on the Stan Perron Immunisation Centre, the Specialist Immunisation Clinic and the seasonal influenza immunisation program, see Stan Perron Immunisation Service.

Referrals

All Specialist Rooms, GP’s and WACHS referrers are being advised to direct all non-urgent referrals for PCH outpatient services to the Central Referral Service.  

Online

https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Central-Referral-Service-guide-for-referrers 

• New referrals will be assessed against the eligibility guidelines and prioritised according to medical need.
• Referrals from Nurse Practitioners, other non-medical referrers and private hospitals (including those with a private-public partnership) are to be directed to PCH Referral Office.
• All urgent referrals are to be sent to the PCH Referral Office.
• Urgent referrals must always be discussed with the PCH Consultant / Registrar on call before the referral is sent.
• The referral needs to include the name of the Consultant/ Registrar the referrer spoke to.
• Each referral is to be faxed individually.

PCH switchboard