Infectious Diseases

The Infectious Diseases Department at the SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital was officially created in 2008, and, since then, it has been the answer to the sociosanitary needs of pediatric patients in an ever-changing healthcare landscape – resulting from the arrival of new pathogens or the higher survival rates of increasingly vulnerable patients.

We regularly review and update protocols so we can face situations head on: tackling opportunistic infections; implementing new microbiological techniques; the rise of antibiotic resistance; or navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leading Infectious Diseases Facility

Our work focuses on the patient and their family.

We are a transversal hospital, meaning we review all of the departments and clinical units at the SJD and create cross-departmental links with the Laboratory, Pharmacy, Anatomical Pathology or Diagnostic imaging. We also boast a specialised outpatient's department covering multiple areas of the field of Infectious Diseases.

In the last few decades, Infectious Diseases has become increasingly relevant. The need for responsible usage of antibiotics and antimicrobials, as well as the growing complexity of the patients we attend at our facility, has led us towards a proactive healthcare model. This model allows us to detect patients at the hospital with active infection or those who are at risk of infection in order to provide early assessment and care.

Our aim is to guarantee equal access to high quality, safe, effective healthcare to people with diseases contracted in countries with endemic infectious diseases. The department monitors epidemic outbreaks across the world, as well as the latest treatments and preventative measures for tropical diseases.

• Anna Gamell Fulla, Pediatrician.
• Teresa Cusó Herreros, Nurse.
• Carmen García Rebollo, Nurse.
• Anna Maria del Castillo Aldeguer, Team administrator.
• Marta López Sanz, Secretary of the Pediatrics Unit.

Research

The SJD Research Institute (IRSJD) houses the Research Group for Infectious Diseases and the Microbiome, which focuses on the study of the clinical, molecular and epidemiological aspects of the main pediatric infectious diseases, as well as improving diagnosis thereof.

From 2015 to 2023, the Infectious Diseases Department took part in ten different competitive research projects and in over 60 clinical trials. During this period, department staff also published around 160 articles in indexed journals. At present, our team is also working on the following lines of research:

• SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• Congenital CMV infection.
• Syphilis.
• Pediatric meningitis.
• Pediatric endocarditis.
• Bacterial infection in at-risk pediatric patients.
• Antibiotic resistance.
• Tuberculosis.
• Imported diseases and international cooperation.
• Infection in cancer patients and/or hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.
• Osteoarticular infection.
• CNS infection.
• Immunological monitoring of CMV in kidney transplant patients.

Teaching

We offer education seminars to medical students at undergraduate and postgraduate level, as well as Pediatrics and Specific Areas residents and other professionals training in pediatric infectious disease.

We have the capacity to train three department rotations simultaneously.

Teaching and training activity includes holding information seminars and sessions, protocol supervision and participating in internal and external conferences and meetings, including scientific conferences.

We would like to place particular emphasis on our Master’s programme:

Master in Infectious Diseases among Children and Adolescents

In partnership with the University of Barcelona, this Master’s programme allows students to get hands-on experience in the Infectious Diseases Department at the SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital.

• Dr Ton Noguera is Course Coordinator, while also acting as course lecturer alongside other department staff.
• This is a practical-focused Master's with an extensive theoretical component, lasting one year and worth 60 ECTS credits.

Yearly PROA workshop for Pediatric Infectious Diseases

The Antimicrobials Optimisation Programmes (PROA) are key tools in promoting responsible antibiotic use. The PROA-SJD group aims to encourage active participation of staff in training (pediatrics, microbiology and pharmacology) so as to foster a PROA-focused approach in daily healthcare provision for our patients.

Common transversal agenda PROA-focused course for a comprehensive approach to infectious disease

This course was introduced in 2024 as a PROA-centred education intervention and was offered to professionals who have a significant impact on antibiotic use.

These staff include those involved in prescribing antibiotic medication, reviewing prescribed drugs, administering medications and treatments, obtaining and transporting biological samples, and identifying microorganisms. As such, we consider the course format as particularly important, as it involved all of these staff members (nurses, pediatricians, gynecologists, porters, pharmacists, surgeons, microbiologists, etc.).

PID Games (Paediatric Infectious Diseases Games)

This new interactive, educational development aims to broaden knowledge and increase awareness of pediatric infectious diseases. The first edition was held in Rome in 2023, and the second in Barcelona, in 2024. PID Games is a three-day course consisting of four modules on various exciting topics (for example, bacteria and antibiotics, viruses and vaccines, emerging infections and those in immunocompromised hosts). Each module includes talks given by experts from around the world, clinical cases, a debate for/against and a questionnaire for participants. The winner of these games obtains free entry to next years’ course, as well as the possibility to get involved as a junior speaker.

Furthermore, all members of the team are professors and lecturers on other Master’s programmes, courses and workshops.