Internal medicine specialists are clinical experts in the diagnosis and management of unsolved or puzzling medical problems, in caring for patients suffering from more than one disease and in providing ongoing care for individuals suffering from a chronic illness. On the other hand, doctors specialising in infectious diseases are those which, as the name implies, have the necessary clinical and laboratory training to make the right diagnosis and organise the best treatment plans for infectious diseases, caused by either microbes, such as viruses and bacteria, or parasites such as tapeworm. Owing to the wide variability in the presentation and severity of infections, such conditions can be challenging to diagnose and treat, warranting specialist care.

Internal medicine issues

• Abnormal bowel habit including diarrhoea
• Abnormal liver tests
• Chest infection, sinus issues or cough
• Chest pain
• Irregular heartbeat and palpitations
• Loss of appetite and/or weight loss
• Poor glucose control
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling of the legs
• Uncontrolled blood pressure, cholesterol
• Urinary tract infections

Infectious disease related medical concerns

• All kinds of infection: chest infections, sinusitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, skin infections eg cellulitis, infective diarrhoea, wound infections, fungal infections etc
• Fever and diarrhoea in the returning travelled
• HIV and Hepatitis
• Infections transmitted from animals and insects
• Latent tuberculosis (3^rd country nationals with positive Quantiferon test)
• Long-lasting COVID-19 infection
• Orthopaedic related infections
• Persistent fever
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Travel consultations including malaria prophylaxis