Physicians need an evaluation to determine if something is viral or bacterial, explains Stacey Baker, Infectious Disease Physician with Baptist Health South Florida. Blood or urine tests can help make that difference. The expert affirms a common cold is caused by a variety of viruses and it’s considered an infectious disease. The doctor advises checking…...

Antibiotics do not work for viral infections. A lot of people take antibiotics to treat cough or congestion, but frequently these symptoms are caused by viruses and antibiotics are not useful in those cases, says Stacey Baker, Infectious Disease Physician with Baptist Health South Florida. The expert says when people are hospitalized, they are at…...

The Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine (HIB) protects people against haemophilus influenzae type b infections. It’s a bacterial infection that leads to either ear infection, pneumonia and meningitis. Dr. Scarlet Constant, Pediatrician with Baptist Health South Florida, explains what meningitis is and its symptoms and complications...

Flu is a colloquialism for influenza. The flu is an acute respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses A or B . Most people who get the flu recover completely in 1 to 2 weeks, but some people develop serious and potentially life-threatening medical complications, such as pneumonia. Much of the illness and death caused by…...

If the symptoms of the cough or pneumonia are progressively getting worse it’s time to consult the doctor, says Dr. Carol Barrocas, Internal Medicine Physician with Baptist Health South Florida. Those symptoms could be: chest pain increases, fever does not diminish, breathing becomes more difficult or the cough is stronger. Physical exam, chest x-ray, blood…...

Dr. Carol Barrocas, Internal Medicine Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, says that seniors, at their age, have a weaker immune system, susceptible to any type of infection or disease. She also says, a lot of seniors are also in skilled nursing facilities where they are exposed quite a bit. Dr. Michelle Brewster, Internal Medicine…...

With a digital imaging, Dr. Michelle Brewster, Internal Medicine Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, explains how the pneumonia infection occurs in lungs. Dr. Carol Barrocas, Internal Medicine Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, also explains how the alveoli look and what’s happening when the infection occurs. When there is infection, there’s inflammation on the…...

Dr. Michelle Brewster, Internal Medicine Physician with Baptist Health South Florida and Dr. Carol Barrocas, Internal Medicine Physician at the same place, agree that each patient of pneumonia should be treated individually. Hospitalization depends on the age of the patient, the severity of illness and if the patient has an additional condition like diabetes, high…...