Evaluation of the Cases Consulted by Chest Surgery Department in a University Hospital

Abstract

Objective: Evaluation was made of the consultation results of patients who were thought to need a surgical approach and consulted the Chest Surgery Department for diagnostic support and treatment offers after detection of a clinical and/or radiological pathology of the respiratory system. Material and Method: In our hospital, one hundred and eighty eight patients who were evaluated by our clinic between 2006 an 2008 were analyzed prospectively. Of the cases, 247 were male (63.65%), 141 were female (36.35%) and mean age was 49 +/- 9,1. During the consultations, the detailed histories of the patients including the symptomatology related to the age, gender and respiratory system were recorded. Physical examinations and laboratory assays were performed. Results: It was noticed that the Emergency Medical Department was the departments which r most frequently required consultations from the Chest Surgery Department (50.51%). Of the Internal Medicine branches, the Chest Diseases Department (14.43%); and of the Surgical branches, the General Surgery Department were those which required the most consultations from our department. Chest X-ray and thorax tomographies of the patients consulted in the Emergency Medicine Department revealed mostly rib fracture (36.34%) and lung contusion (14.43%), while atelectasis (22.91%), mass/nodule (20.31) and pleural effusion (15.10%) were most common in patients from other departments. Conclusion: It is important to employ adequate expert health staff in emergency medicine departments in order to prevent time consuming, unnecessary consultations and reduce health expenditures. The contribution of the Chest Surgery Department in the diagnosis and planning of treatment of lung and pleural pathologies should not be overlooked. It might be helpful to educate the health staff about postoperative patient care for the prevention of respiratory complications which may develop postoperatively in surgical branches