Dr. Kathleen Mullane
Internal Medicine
Chicago, IL
34 years experience female
Locations
Office
Chicago, IL
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
About
Bio
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases at the University of Chicago. I attend on the Immunocompromised Host Inpatient Consultation Service as well as attending in clinics for our HIV patient population, chronic CDI and transplant populations. I conduct clinical trials evaluating treatments for opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts including Clostridium difficile, invasive fungal infections, opportunistic viral infections, multidrug resistant infections and vaccines.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Internal Medicine
Infectious Disease
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
303 Answers
54 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 54-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Effective monitor: Your heart is a pump. If the pump isn't doing its job, fluid backs up behind it.. Blood being pumped out of the heart to the body is reduced & your o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Bacteria harbor: Cosmetic sponges pick up bacteria from your hands, your skin, the environment and (ugh!) your friends if you share them. They are meant to be disposa... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Antibiotic-OC failur: Unfortunately, antibiotics may cause oral contraceptives to have altered absorption and thereby fail in their efficacy. If you are concerned, would c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Pneumonia: Some pneumonias have few symptoms (walking pneumonia) but most common symptoms associate with pneumonia are fever/sweats, feeling tired & weak, cough ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Contact precautions: When taking care of patients general contact precautions are in order so that we consider all as possibly having an infection that can be spread from ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Perirectal infection: The perianal area has alot of skin oil & mucus membrane glands that empty out to the skin. Just as cysts elsewhere on the body (acne, sebacious or ha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Lasix (furosemide): Lasix (furosemide) is a safe drug as long as you are being monitored by your doctor while you are taking the medication. For some disease states, pat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Wasp stings: When you are stung by a wasp the insect injects venom into you. Most people will have pain, itching and swelling. If you have shortness of breath or... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Cervical disc diseas: Since you had a scan it sounds like you have symptoms. If you have symptoms, you need to have a v. Good neurologist & v. Good spine surgeon to evalua... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
No Potent Steroids!: You should not use a potent steroid on the face, axillae or groin! the skin in these areas are too thin & use there could lead to steroid acne, thinn... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
1 comment
A 33-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Onychomycosis: Nailbed infections start in the nail matrix and need to grow out from there. This process takes longer in the toenails than the fingernails (+/- 12 m... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Wrong drug for bugs: Very few organisms in the bladder susceptible to clinda. If you have antibiotic left over from a different infection, throw it away! bladder infecti... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Elimination issue: That depends on the antibiotic. Usually we say that it takes 5 half lives of the antibiotic to get out of the body. More importantly, the effect on ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Too good to be true?: Papillex is a 'phytoceutical' made from fruits, nuts, & mushroom extracts. It is supposed to increase your immune response & thereby help you clear t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Smaller than elbow: Ear wax is common & normal. Major concern is placing things in the ear canal to take it out. This only pushes the wax in deeper & risks perforation ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Nonsteroidal a no no: Mefenamic acid of Ponstel (mefenamic acid) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent (nsaid). Use of nsaids in the face of a varicella infection are ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Prenatal vitamins: Whether or not a prescription is needed for a prenatal vitamin depends upon how much Folic Acid is in the tablet. Over the counter tabs have less tha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Depends on bug: Currently there are some organisms for which we've no antibiotic therapy. (see pbs frontline on this topic!). Antibiotic overuse, aging population, a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Diarrhea: Diarrhea can be from foods, medications, infections (bacteria, parasites, viruses), functional disorders to name a few etiologies. It is important to... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Swapping spit: Yes, you can pass infections in saliva: herpes virus infections (hsv, vzv, mono and CMV to name a few), streptococcal, hemophilis, and Meningococcal ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
HIV as a pathogen: Hiv is an RNA retro-virus. It is spread via infected cells by blood or body fluids (e.g.: semen, breast milk, immune cells in the colon or vagina). ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Possibly: Some fungal infections (tinea, trichosporon...) can be spread by contact or through fomites (objects that may become colonized with the organisms like... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Acute retroviral sx: The most common symptoms of acute retroviral infection is no signs/symptoms. The acute syndrome is no different in males or females ; may present as ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Risky behavior: If the test is positive then you should have confirmatory testing. (this may have already been done reflexively by the lab) if it is negative, as lon... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Gingivitis therapy: That depends. Severity and etiology. If it is severe, it may need aggressive antibiotics or antiviral or antifungal therapy depending on the cause, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Bloody Saliva ; HIV: If a person is infected with hiv, the virus may well be in saliva even without gross blood. The concentration is usually low but it is transmissable.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Wrong bug/drug: If you have an infection that's not cleared in 5 days of antibiotics you ; your doctor need to evaluate if:
1. There is an abscess or pocket of pus ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Bleeding: This medication is used to protect the arteries after heart treatments (percutaneous proceedure). Any medication can cause allergy. (rash, itching, s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Dont scratch!: Hopefully youve seen a physician ; infection is being treated. Itching accompanies healing or inflammat'n. Scratching allows bacteria to colonize fi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Staphylococcus infec: Staph is a normal colonizer of our skin. It causes infection when it gest in the wrong place at the wrong time. Our skin usually protects us but bre... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Woman to man trnsmsn: That depends on the viral control. If someone had an undetectable viral load then the risk of transmission is low. If the man uses a condom the risk... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Viral or bacterial: Most sinus infections are viral and will resolve with or without treatment. Fluids, analgesics and tincture of time. Serious bacterial sinus infecti... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Spread through spit: Hiv is rarely spread through saliva and has only been reported in cases of deep kissing in an individual who has open ulcers or mouth sores. Many oth... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
AIDS related death: If untreated, HIV slowly decimates the immune system leaving the individual susceptible to infections and cancers usually held in check by the immune ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Person-person-fomite: Infections can be spread person to person by hands, in food preparation or through touching objects where the organisms can live (fomites) like object... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Lymph node swelling: Lymph nodes are part of our body's janitorial service (process badness & drain away if possible or try to contain it in the node). Node may well be d... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Sinus infection?: If a person has severe allergies to the point that the nasal passages are so swollen they are blocking off the normal drainage process, an individual ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
HIV assoc wt loss: (not necessarily in this order!) first you need to be on an appropriate haart regimen. The virus needs to be suppressed as low as possible. Second: ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Rifaximin and CDI: Rifaximin is used as an alternative therapy to treat clostridium difficile infection when other treatments fail. There have been case reports of resi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Otitis: First you need to know if it is a real ear infection. This requires professional to examine the ear. If the infection is in the external ear canal i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Table salt: Cacl2 + 2naco3 --> 2nacl + ca(co3)2
table salt and calcium carbonate.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Two better than one?: The duo test looks for the p24 antigen or protein made by the HIV virus. The elisa tests for the body's immune response to the infection (antihiv ant... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Occlusion is bad: Anything that occludes evaporation on the skin is bad for tinea versicolor, a fungal infection of the skin. Best to use products without oils like a ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 55-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Push right fluids: Although no good controlled studies show fluid intake reduces UTI risk it's postulated yes (must be right fluid; not carbonated/ caffeinated /high sug... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Endocrine effects: Thyroid hormone helps us with metabolism. If your thyroid hormone is low, your body is unable to manage the lipids appropriately and this leads to hi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Weight gain: Weight gain occurs when an individuals intake of calories is >> than the expenditure of calories. Most people need 22-25 kcal/kg/d to maintain ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Fever >101.5: In an adult (i am not a pediatrician!) if you have a fever >101.5 we recommend calling you primary care physician. The fever is not so much the pr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Hepatitis C in urine: While hepatitis c can be found in urine specimens, transmission by this route hasn't been reported. Most occurred via blood (before testing available... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Need cultures: This could be either orchitis (infection in testicle) or epididymitis (duct from testes out). These infections can be hard to treat. You need repeat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Kathleen Mullaneanswered
Internal Medicine 34 years experience
Acne antibiotics: Topical Clindamycin is used when acne is not controlled by standard care with benzoyl peroxide/salacylic acid or other otc products used religiously. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
5
Recommendations
338
Thank you notes
Apr 3, 2013
Dr. Mullane's excellent answers are well thought out and completely reliable.
Sep 12, 2013
good answers and excellent doctor
Jan 25, 2015
Highly recommended!!
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer or tip was very helpful! My urine cultive said it was sensitive to ceftriaxone, and resistant to penicillin, gentamicin, etc. The symptoms dont dissapear. Thank you
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! I'm male, & self treated recurrent groin ringworm using Clotrimazole. The itchy white patches disappeared. May need to continue proper trtmt
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Fever didnt come back after 2 days,but I still have mild headaches til now.Will ask doctor abt it today when they repack my wound.Thank you!
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, IL
Graduated 1989MD
Medical/Graduate school
Philadelphia University of the Sciences
Graduated 1982MD
Medical/Graduate school
University of Iowa
Graduated 1980MD
Residency
Rush Presbyterian St. Lukes Medical Center, Chicago
Awards
US News and World Report Top Doctor (Castle Connelly) 2012
Chicago's Top Doctors 2012
Castle Connelly Top Doctor 2013
Affiliations
Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
Member, American Society of Transplantation
Member, American Society of Microbiology
Publications
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
Answer emailed
in 24 hours or less