Viral infections - chickenpox, dengue, herpes zoster, herpes simplex, measles, rsv, chikungunya.
These are the most common of all infections. They are usually self limiting. Most of them dont have any specific treatment. The recovery from these illnesses is usually good, but dreaded complications are well known. Early diagnosis is the clue in such cases.
Some of these conditions are preventable through appropriate vaccines, like chickenpox, measles, influenza, rabies.
EBV and CMV are self limiting illnesses in people with normal immune system. But in patients like ones who are on immune suppression medicines, chemotherapy and transplant recipients these can even be fatal if diagnosis is delayed.
Fungal infections - candida, aspergillus, mucormycosis, crypytococcosis
These are broadly divided as superficial and deep fungal infections. Superficial ones are common for eg. Candida infection -oral, intertrigous areas, vaginal etc. Ringworm infection- neck, groins, abdomen , toe, fingers scalp. These need topical and systemic treatment.
Deep fungal infections like aspergillus, mucormycosis, crypytococcosis, basidiobolus, conidiobolus These are rare ones.
These may be seen in any age group, sex and people with normal as well as low immunity. Fever is absent many times. Patients have specific local swellings on face. Some may have non healing, slow progressive lung infections. Treatment is expensive and prolonged.
Parasitic infections- worm infection, malaria, amebiasis, neurocystcercosis
These are relatively uncommon ones. Often transmitted by ingestion of contaminated food. Often go unnoticed as patients do not have much symptoms.
Conditions like amoebic liver abscess, hookworm, roundworm, cystecercosis ( worm in muscle and brain) , fluke infections ,schistosomiasis, are included in this category. Some infections like toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidium infections can be very serious in patients with poor immunity.
Bacterial infections pseudomonas, acinetobacter infections, typhoid fever, Leptospirosis and other enterobacteriaceae infections, actinomycosis, nocardia
Bacterial infections pseudomonas, acinetobacter infections, salmonella ( typhoid) and other enterobacteriaceae infections, actinomycosis, nocardia The 2nd most common type of infections
Make patients very sick. They can get rapidly complicated. Without treatment can be fatal. Above listed are few examples.
ICU infections
ICU infections - multi drug resistant infections, super bug infections.
ICU patients are to begin with very sick. They often suffer from multiple episodes of different infections. Patients admitted in ICUs are at highest risk of multi drug resistant infections and severe complications. It's very important that antibiotics are used judiciously in such patients and intervention of infection specialist helps achieve this goal.