Infectious Diseases

As an infectious disease doctor, Robert Castro can help patients dealing with mild infections, “Like community infections like a respiratory virus, skin infection like a cellulitis, or a UTI that can be managed simply.”

However, in the hospital setting, he typically sees more serious conditions, “Blood stream infections, sepsis, septic shock, very severe skin, urinary tract, or gastrointestinal infections,” said Dr. Castro.

Infectious disease doctors can also help patients with long-term infections like HIV or chronic hepatitis. “At this point, there’s no cure for HIV, but over the years the treatment has progressed to the point that it can be managed like a chronic condition,” said Dr. Castro.

His responsibility isn’t just treating disease, but also working to prevent it. “Some basic issues we deal with to help prevent infections are stuff like vaccines to help prevent pneumonia, the flu, pertussis, polio, varicella,” said Dr. Castro.

Unlike some other specialties, there are many cures available in infectious disease cases. “It’s satisfying to be able to deal with a condition which there’s a medication I can give someone and relieve them of their condition or cure them of their condition,” said Dr. Castro. You can learn more about infectious diseases by searching for it on leehealth.org.