Infectious Diseases Department (Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hepatology)

The Department of Infectious Diseases and Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hepatology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University was established in 2003 and is a clinical department integrating medical care, teaching, and research. The clinical specialty is organized around a patient-centered philosophy and has worked tirelessly to standardize medical practice, improve the diagnosis and treatment of difficult cases, pursue clinical technological innovation, promote the concept of translational medicine, and enhance the overall competence of its personnel, with the aim of providing patients with high-quality medical services. In 2017, it was awarded the title of “Key Specialty in Infectious Diseases of Liaoning Province.”

The discipline includes the following Infectious Diseases outpatient clinics: Fever Clinic, Intestinal Clinic, and Hepatology Clinic; Infectious Diseases inpatient wards: Fever Ward, Intestinal Ward, and Hepatology Ward; and treatment rooms: Artificial Liver Treatment Room, Ascites Ultrafiltration and Reinfusion Room, Ultrasound Elastography Examination Room, Liver Disease Acupoint Treatment Room, and Emergency Resuscitation Room. The department has 24 beds available in its wards, 2 artificial liver devices, 1 ultrasound elastography diagnostic instrument, 1 liver disease treatment device, 4 ECG monitors, 2 defibrillators, and 1 12-lead electrocardiograph. Its main clinical areas of diagnosis and treatment are: artificial liver technology and ascites concentration and ultrafiltration therapy for end-stage liver disease; integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment of chronic liver disease; antiviral treatment for hepatitis B and C; and research on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, among others.

At present, the discipline has a highly qualified core technical team with extensive clinical experience, composed primarily of doctoral and master's degree holders. The Infectious Diseases Department currently has 7 specialized clinical physicians, including 1 chief physician, 2 deputy chief physicians (42.8% holding senior professional titles), 1 attending physician (14.3%), and 3 resident physicians (42.9%); 3 doctoral degree holders (42.8%), 3 master's degree holders (42.8%), and 1 bachelor's degree holder (14.3%); 1 doctoral supervisor and 1 master's supervisor; it has trained 13 master's students and currently has 7 master's students and 1 doctoral student. There are also 16 nurses, including 4 with intermediate professional titles (25%), 1 technician, and 1 pharmacist. The age, educational-qualification, and professional-title profiles of the medical and nursing personnel are well balanced; staffing meets the discipline’s work and development needs, and the team has a strong ability to manage difficult and critical cases in the specialty.

Professor Zhu Ying, the department director, previously undertook advanced study and training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Mayo Medical Center in the United States, and concurrently serves as chair, vice chair, and standing committee member of various infectious-disease and hepatology societies in the Asia-Pacific region, nationally, and at the provincial and municipal levels. Professor Zhu Ying has led multiple research projects, including 2 General Program projects of the National Natural Science Foundation (of China), 1 project of the National Science and Technology Development Center, 1 project under the Liaoning Provincial Key R&D Program, 2 provincial science and technology projects, and 2 municipal science and technology projects; Professor Zhu Ying also participated in 1 Major Program project of the National Natural Science Foundation (of China). Multiple projects have received awards, including 1 Second Prize of the Liaoning Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award, 1 Second Prize of the Liaoning Provincial Science Progress Award, 2 Second Prizes of the Dalian Science Progress Award, and 1 Third Prize.

In recent years, the department has achieved excellent results in all its work and has been named an Advanced Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University for 3 consecutive years. It has received honors including the Discipline Development Award, the Special Contribution Award for a National-Level Demonstration Unit for Traditional Chinese Medicine Work in General Hospitals, Advanced Department for Rational Drug Use, Outstanding Residency Training Department, and Advanced Department for Medical Quality and Safety. It has received numerous individual honors, including Outstanding Manager, Outstanding Employee, Outstanding Residency Training Teacher, Residency Training Competition Award Winner, Outstanding Teacher, and others. In the past 3 years, the department has hosted a total of 3 national- and provincial-level continuing education programs: “Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Research on Liver Failure, New Advances in Traditional Chinese Medicine Research on Liver Diseases, and Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Research on Infectious Diseases.” In the past 3 years, the department has completed or currently has under way 2 projects of the National Natural Science Foundation (of China), has 3 provincial- and municipal-level scientific research projects under way, has received 2 Municipal Science and Technology Progress Awards, and has published 15 SCI papers.

Subspecialty areas and outpatient clinics offered:

1. Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hepatology Clinic: Zhu Ying, Yang Li, Zhao Tianyu, Cong Qingwei

2. New Hepatology Technology Clinic: Zhu Ying, Cong Qingwei, Yao Liying, Liu Dandan, Fang Jiao

3. Infectious Diseases Clinic: Zhu Ying, Yang Li, Zhao Tianyu, Cong Qingwei

4. Fever Clinic (December–February each year): Yang Li, Zhao Tianyu, Cong Qingwei, Liu Dandan

5. Intestinal Clinic (July–September each year): Yang Li, Zhao Tianyu, Cong Qingwei, Liu Dandan