Microbiology & Infectious Diseases

The Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Department provides laboratory diagnostic services to clinicians within and outside the hospital and specialises in neonatal, paediatric and obstetric microbiology.

A clinical consultation service in infectious diseases is provided for inpatients and outpatients.

A weekly Infectious Diseases Outpatient Clinic provides specialist help for clinicians including GPs.

The department runs national reference laboratories in Diagnostic Mycology and Meningococcal typing.

A pivotal role of the department is hospital infection control. An Infection Control Coordinator and Infection Control Development Officer provide:

• surveillance
• response
• policy development
• educational roles
• coordinate the Infection Control Link Nurses who oversee key patient areas.

The department has a very active research program covering many aspects of infectious diseases (see below).

The department holds a number of NH&MRC grants and supervises PhD students. It enjoys collaborative research with several university and hospital departments. The department also participates in multi-centre drug trials nationally and internationally.

Its teaching role (in association with the Universities of Adelaide and South Australia) is performed at several levels including undergraduate medical and science students, nurses, trainee physicians/paediatricians and trainee pathologists.

How to access the service

Clinical ward consultations can be arranged by contacting the Infectious Diseases Registrar on pager 18048 during working hours, or after hours by contacting the Consult-on-Call through the switchboard ph (08) 81617000.

The Infectious Diseases Clinic operates every Tuesday between 9am and 11.30am. Appointments can be made by phoning (08) 8161 6644.

A referral letter is required for all non-hospital patients.

Urgent referrals will be seen by contacting either the ID registrar or consultant-on-call (as above).

Laboratory specimens for Microbiological/Virological/Serological diagnosis should be sent to the Core Laboratory. Urgent specimens should be marked urgent and sent directly to Microbiology with a fully completed signed and legible Laboratory Request Form. Refer to the Laboratory Handbook for appropriate specimen collection.

Research Activity

The department has a very active research program covering many aspects of infectious diseases including:

• pathogenesis of pre-term birth
• pathogenesis of cerebral palsy
• Cryptococcal disease
• pathogenesis of sudden infant death syndrome
• pathogenesis of pneumococcal disease and potential vaccine candidates
• meningococcal disease
• pathogenesis of septic shock
• probiotics and diarrhoea
• antimicrobial drug resistance and therapy
• antifungal therapy
• early diagnosis and prevention of intravascular line infections
• rapid viral/bacterial diagnosis
• bordetella pertussis strain characterisation.

Hours

A 24 hour Infectious Diseases on-call service is provided.

The Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Laboratory receives specimens at the following times:

Monday to Friday 8:30am - 6pm

Saturday 8:30am - 4pm

Sunday 8:30am -12 noon.

Contact details

Unit Heads

Director, Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 
Dr Celia Cooper

Location

Level 5, Rieger Building

Mailing address

Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Department

Women's and Children's Hospital

72 King William Road

North Adelaide

South Australia 5006

Phone/fax/email

Ph (08) 8161 6725

Fax (08) 8161 6051

Email diana.cunningham@cywhs.sa.gov.au

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