Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Overview

The department provides an active patient care service in the following areas:

• Clinical Pulmonology
• Lung Cancer Programme
• Asthma Clinic
• Occupational Lung Disorders Clinic
• Smoking Cessation Programme
• Interventional Pulmonology

  The department is one of the few centres in South-East Asia in Interventional Bronchoscopy and its entire spectrum of uses including laser, stenting and brachytherapy for patients with endobronchial disease. Services available include:

  • Flexible Bronchoscopy service
  • Medical Thoracoscopy service
  • Rigid Bronchoscopy service
  • Whole Lung Lavage for Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis
• Medical Intensive Care
  

  The Medical Intensive Care Unit has developed detailed patient care protocols with referrals from the hospital as well as other hospitals and neighbouring countries. The department is responsible for the care of medical patients with critical illnesses such as severe community acquired pneumonia, ARDS and immuno-compromised hosts with respiratory failure. This ICU is also the Centre for Heat Disorders in the country, with a Body Cooling Unit available.

• Sleep Disorders Unit
  

  A multidisciplinary sleep disorders unit has been established in 1998 for the evaluation, education and treatment of patients with sleep disorders. This is done in collaboration with Neurologists, ENT Surgeons, psychologists and psychiatrists.

• Pulmonary Function Laboratory
  

  Provides cardiopulmonary exercise testing and general pulmonary function testing. GPs referring patients for tests can download the test request form from this site. (MS Word Format / Adobe Acrobat Format)

• Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme
  

  The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service is a programme to help patients with chronic pulmonary disease achieve and maintain a maximum level of independence and functioning in the community.

• Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS)

  Endobronchial Ultrasound is a minimally invasive bronchoscopic procedure used for both diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. The radial probe allows biopsy of small peripheral lung lesions and it is thus an important option in the early diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer. The convex probe enables visualization of mediastinal lymph nodes and biopsy (TBNA) under real time guidance for staging of lung cancer. Both of these services are available in the department and we have a team of bronchoscopists who are proficient in both these procedures.

Asthma Clinic

Referral criteria:

• Confirmed asthmatics who require education and counselling
• Confirmed asthmatics with management problems
• Asthma in pregnancy

Asthma Clinic Schedule is : Every Friday 2pm-5pm
Hotline : 63265361

Occupational Lung Disorders Clinic

Referral criteria:

• Any patient with suspected occupational lung condition
• Those with occupational asthma and occupational dust diseases could also be referred

Clinic schedule: 4th Wednesday of the month, 2.00pm - 5.00pm

Smoking Cessation Programme

Referral criteria: Those who need help to stop smoking

Clinic schedule:

• Every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 8.00am - 10.00am;
• Every Tuesday, 3.30pm - 5.00pm