Medical specialties - Pulmonology Clinic | CLINICAL CENTRE

General pulmonology

• Pulmonology deals with diseases involving the respiratory tract, investigates why and how these develop, and tries to detect them as early as possible. The surface of our lungs that is in contact with the substances surrounding us is 40 times larger than the surface of our skin, besides oxygen these substances also enter our lungs especially if they are of a smaller size or if they are gaseous. This may lead to both immediately and slowly developing damage to our lungs. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, cigarette smoke, allergens, dust and gases can all enter the lungs and lead to infectious diseases accompanied by fever or they may damage the lungs over a longer time, which may eventually result in cystic fibrosis or asthma. Modern pulmonology can detect diseases at an early stage and can treat them successfully. Working hand in hand with other related specialties, pulmonology also has a role in the treatment of lung damage caused by other diseases. As several lung diseases are chronic in nature, it is again pulmonology that treats and provides care for patients suffering from asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis or chronic dyspnea. It is worth turning to a pulmonologist because a specialist can detect diseases in time and can properly monitor, rehabilitate and restore decreased lung functions

Treatment of patients with TB

• Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that spreads via droplets from person to person but only10 percent of people with this infection develop active TB, which might present only months later. Patients with latent TB infection can infect others, this is why early detection is very important.  This is done through TB screening which has resulted in a significant reduction in the incidence of tuberculosis in Hungary. At present, Hungary is among the low-incidence countries with less than 800 new cases of infection a year while earlier, for example in 1990, this number was around 3,000. Comparing the numbers, we can see there has been a significant decrease. BCG vaccination for the prevention of TB has had a major role in the decrease of TB incidence. Instead of tuberculosis, now we can encounter other bacteria with increasing frequency that do not spread from person to person but cause mycobacterosis. Therefore, the newest challenge our professionals face involves the detection and treatment of this new disease.

Allergology and immunology

• Our allergology department provides care for a large number of patients coming not only from Debrecen, but also from the wider region. We examine and treat patients with allergic rhinitis or bronchial asthma, and provide immunotherapy for patients suffering from bee or wasp sting hypersensitivity/allergy. We also offer biological therapy, a modern therapy option for those needing it. Our specialty care is characterized by a high level of expertise and professionalism. As there is a growing incidence of allergy more and more patients present at our department

Pulmonary rehabilitation

• At our Clinic, pulmonary patients are also have access to respiratory rehabilitation. Patients can be scheduled for such therapy if they have a referral and present at the department on Thursday mornings between 8 and 12 o’clock. After a preliminary health check, a specialist will assess whether the patient is eligible for rehabilitation. Then, in cooperation with the patient and the physiotherapist, a rehabilitation plan will be drawn up. If the patient wishes to be hospitalized, he or she will be scheduled for admission. In optimal cases, respiratory rehabilitation lasts from 4 to 6 weeks and can be repeated every six months.

Oncology

• a significant part of the patients we treat at our Clinic suffer from oncological diseases. Both their examination and treatment take place at the Clinic, which means we provide care in hundreds of cases a year. The majority of these patients suffer from non-small-cell lung cancer, while small cell lung cancer accounts for a smaller number of cases.  At the same time, we also examine and treat other less common thoracic cancers. The modern diagnostic imaging tests available at the university make patient care even more efficient.  Chemotherapy, targeted molecular therapy and immunotherapy treatments are provided at our Clinic, while operations, radiotherapy, isotope treatments and invasive radiological procedures are performed with the help of related specialties. Our oncology specialists offer not only the above treatments but they also participate in clinical trials as suggested by international guidelines, thus making the latest treatment options available for our patients in a very short time. Our Clinic has a separate department for oncotherapy, where patients are treated and monitored by attending physicians and oncotherapy nurses alike

Emergency and intensive care

• The number of respiratory patients treated at the Clinic is rising year by year, and patient population has also changed in line with available equipment and patients’ demands. The key areas of specialization at our Intensive Care Unit include emergency care and provision of prolonged mechanical ventilation for critically ill patients requiring respiratory care, as well as weaning patients off the ventilator. These patients are admitted to our Clinic after long-term hospital care provided for them sometimes at another Clinic or as often happens under the progressive patient care system, they may even come from another county. The majority of our patients suffer from community-acquired or nosocomial pneumonia with septic complications, ARDS, or often present with multiple organ failure. Their treatment constitutes the biggest challenge our Intensive Care Unit faces as it requires complex treatment strategies based on the knowledge of the state-of-the-art therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. We also have patients treated for acute exacerbations in COPD and decompensated cor pulmonale. When possible, we apply non-invasive ventilation; failing that, we start invasive ventilation.  Furthermore, the Clinic provides emergency treatment in a number of conditions including foreign body aspiration, pneumothorax, acute airway obstruction, post-intubation tracheal stenosis, TIA, poisoning, anaphylactic shock, upset carbohydrate metabolism or acute respiratory failure resulting from acute arrhythmia or acute left ventricular failure. We provide continuous assessment of gas exchange, respiratory mechanics monitoring, respiratory work and invasive haemodynamic monitoring

Bronchology

• The laboratory located in the basement of the Pulmonology Clinic accepts patients by appointment from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays; urgent cases are attended to by a bronchologist. If the patient is in no condition to be transported, on-site examinations can also be performed. We attend to 1,700 patients on average a year. Apart from routine diagnostic examinations, we also provide therapy for large airway stenosis, electrocautery and laser treatment, rigid tube bronchoscopy, foreign body removal, and x-ray guided transthoracic needle biopsy. The patients we examine are either inpatients of our Clinic or have been referred to us from the pulmonary outpatient department. By advance appointment we also accept patients coming from other regions.