Victorian Infectious Diseases Service (VIDS)

We have a strong focus on links with public health, hospital-acquired infections and optimisation of antibiotic use.

We provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient infectious diseases services, with a special focus on travel-related and tropical infections, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis and hospital-acquired infections.

Clinical initiatives

• VIDS launched their restricted drugs approval system (iApprove) as a central component of Guidance decision support.
• VIDS has undertaken planning for possible pandemic influenza patient management at a hospital and DHS level. We have commenced specific planning for the site and composition of an Influenza Clinic to triage pandemic influenza patients.
• Negative pressure ventilation rooms have been upgraded to comply with Australian standards. This ensures we provide adequate protection for staff and the community in managing patients with infectious diseases.
• VIDS has supported the development of a "Clinical Code Yellow" team that can be summoned rapidly to provide a coordinated institution-wide response to an issue related to infection control.
• VIDS completed Clinical Code Yellow responses to Intensive Care Unit outbreaks of the nosocomial pathogen acinetobacter as well as unrecognised disseminated varicella-zoster virus on the Renal unit with efficient identification of infection prevention priorities.
• We encouraged expansion of the private Fairfield Travel Clinic to meet increased demand for pre-travel health advice that is not provided at public hospitals.
• We supported development of coordinated statewide counselling services for occupational and non-occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens.
• We plan closer links with the University of Melbourne's Department of Microbiology with shared educational programs and clinico-pathological activities including teaching for infectious diseases registrars. This builds on the support VIDS provided for a clinical Registrar in the Microbiology Department.
• We aim to improve the health of refugees in Victoria by improving clinical services, both at the specialist and primary care level, providing education to GPs and other health providers, especially in the field of infectious diseases, and conducting translational research to inform ‘best’ clinical practice. We also advocate for optimal clinical care and preventive health for refugees in a variety of forums, including with Government, NGO’s and other stake holders.

Research activities and projects

We have an active research program, and have established strong links with public health.

• AIDS/HIV
• Antibiotic Stewardship
• Health-related infections
• Hepatitis
• Immigrant and refugees
• Immunocompromised patients
• Influenza
• Journal Club
• MBL
• Mathematical Modelling
• Sepsis
• Sepsis studies
• Telehealth
• Travel Medicine
• Tuberculosis