Children's Contagious Diseases

Paediatric Infectious Diseases

At Tays, the examination and treatment of contagious diseases in children and adolescents under the age of 16 is centralised in Paediatric Emergency Ward and in the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Outpatient Clinic. We examine patients who suffer from recurrent or unusually severe infections. We provide treatment on emergency basis for patients with conditions such as shortness of breath (dyspnoea), pneumonia and urinary tract infection.

Infectious diseases treated at Tays include:

  • virus-induced bronchitis
  • asthma
  • blood infection (sepsis)
  • stomach flu
  • urinary tract infection
  • pneumonia

Examinations and treatment at Tays

The most common condition that calls for inpatient treatment is dyspnoea that usually has obstructive bronchitis as the underlying cause. For example, a child comes to the Paediatric Emergency Department with a referral from a health centre to breathe in a bronchodilator medicine. If this does not help, the child is admitted to the inpatient ward.

The administration of the medicine is continued on the ward every two hours until the obstruction is relieved. As medicines are not effective in treating babies under the age of 3 months, we treat them with an inhalation saline solution and mucus extractions.

The child may return home when the obstruction is relieved. For those with recurrent obstruction, we will start asthma medication or refer them to asthma tests at the Tays Allergy Centre.

Pneumonia patients who need IV antibiotics are admitted to the ward. Where necessary, the child will also be administered IV fluid therapy and inhalation medicines. In most cases, the treatment on the ward lasts for two days, following which antibiotic medication will be continued at home by mouth.

The patients treated on the ward for urinary tract infection include small babies and children with a severe kidney infection. For children under two years old, we will carry out a kidney ultrasound examination during their stay on the ward. When the child’s condition improves, medicinal therapy will be continued at home by mouth.

The Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology Outpatient Clinic treats, examines and monitors patients who suffer from recurrent or unusually severe infections.

Person in charge

Specialist Merja Helminen