Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

The Department of Respiratory Medicine of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University is an authorized site for conferring doctoral and master’s degrees, a standardized training base for specialists and residents under the former Ministry of Health, and the respiratory disease branch of the National Clinical Pharmacology Base at the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University.

Departmental Features:

I. Treatment of Respiratory Critical Illnesses

Respiratory critical illnesses are treated alongside critical illnesses in internal medicine, covering the diagnosis, monitoring, and support/replacement of functional disorders involving the respiratory, circulatory, hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, bleeding and coagulation, metabolic and endocrine, nutritional and immune, and neuropsychiatric organ systems. Particular emphasis is placed on sequential treatment and rehabilitation throughout the entire course of care for patients with respiratory critical illnesses.

II. Diagnosis and Treatment of Difficult and Complex Respiratory Diseases

The department has a high level of diagnostic and therapeutic expertise in difficult and rare diseases in respiratory medicine, and a high level of diagnostic and therapeutic capability for various difficult and rare diseases, including fever of unknown origin, cavitary pulmonary lesions, systemic diseases, and malignant diseases involving the lungs.

III. Interventional Pulmonology

The department has introduced internationally advanced interventional pulmonology technologies in the province. For the early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, it has carried out early diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including endobronchial ultrasound, precise pathological examination of small peripheral pulmonary lesions under X-ray/CT guidance, and endoluminal airway cryotherapy for carcinoma in situ. It has completed photodynamic therapy for malignant airway tumors in the province. The department specializes in interventional pulmonology technologies including rigid bronchoscopy; endobronchial ultrasound; placement and removal of silicone/metal stents; comprehensive treatment of benign and malignant airway stenosis using holmium laser, high-frequency electrosurgery, argon plasma coagulation, cryotherapy, and airway balloon dilation; debulking of benign and malignant airway lesions; balloon occlusion for massive hemoptysis; and bronchial thermoplasty for the treatment of severe persistent asthma. It specializes in bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage for the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and excessive sputum production. Applying interventional pulmonology treatment to the diagnosis of difficult and complex respiratory diseases and the treatment of respiratory critical illnesses is a distinctive feature of this department.

IV. Standardized Treatment of Common Respiratory Diseases

The department has standardized diagnostic and therapeutic pathways for chronic airway diseases. Standardized treatment is combined with individualized precision treatment and covers the major respiratory diseases and severe complications.

V. Respiratory Rehabilitation

The department adheres to the integration of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. On the basis of basic respiratory rehabilitation training, it carries out multifaceted interventions, including integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine and interventional pulmonology, to achieve early intervention and whole-course management of chronic respiratory diseases.