1st DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
Director: Prof. P.Nikolaides
The 1st Department of INTERNAL MEDICINE of the Aristotelian University which is
located in the AXEPA HOSPITAL has a long history of medical and academic
excellence especially in the fields of Nephrology - infectious diseases – Hypertension –
Gastroenterology – Endocrinology, in research and also in treating patients.
To continue in this era of technology and information we need your help because of the
bad economic situation of our country.
We need:
1.
Four (4) E.C.G. machines with analyze programs
(example: Page writer TG 50 by Phillips) cost 3.000 $ each
approximately
2.
One (1) Ultrasound machine for multiple use
(examples:
a) Logiq General imaging by GE
b) Accuson X 300 by Siemens)
cost 45.000 $ approximately
3.
Ten (10) patient monitors
(example: CARESCAPE MONITOR B850 by GE)
Cost 1.000 $ each approximately
4.
Ten (10) Desk Top Computers with 24 screen and 10
LASERPRINTERS (Apple if possible) price 1800 $ each
approximately
5.
Two (2) SPIROMETERS price 2000$ each approximately
6.
Five (5) BI-PAP machines for respiratory support price 3.000 $ each
approximately
7.
A LASER MICROSCOPE FOR HEAMATOLOGY Department
(example: Olympus FV 10i) price 10.000$ approximately
8.
a) ENDOSCOPIC ULTRA SOUND (example: GF UCT 180)
b) ENDOSCOPIC SYSTEM (example: EXERA III 190 Olympus)
price 230.000 $ approximately
9.
One (1) GAS analyzer (price 5.000 $ approximately)
Dialysis Department, 1st Department of Internal Medicine
The dialysis department of the AHEPA University Hospital is one of the leading dialysis
departments in Greece. It offers all types of haemodialysis (e.g. conventional
haemodialysis, hemodiafiltration, online hemodiafiltration, short daily hemodialysis etc.)
as well as Peritoneal Dialysis. Plasma exchange therapies and LDL-apheresis are also
provided. Outpatient renal and hypertension clinics run on a daily schedule.
The department has been recently completely renovated and hosts 20 modern dialysis
machines. It is equipped with flat screen TVs and is fully air-conditioned. The
haemodialysis chairs are new and electrically adjustable offering maximum comfort to
the patient.
We serve 70 long-term haemodialysis patients in three shifts daily and provide first class
dialysis and patient-centred care. 90% of our patients achieve a Kt/V of 1.2 or better and
the vast majority achieve the minimum recommended levels for haemoglobin and
albumin. We have the ability to admit patients at any moment in the Nephrology
Department.
Our staff consists of 7 fellows and 4 consultants together with 5 nephrologists holding
academic positions. One fellow and one staff nephrologist are always on duty on a 24
hour basis. Our doctors are very well trained in Greece and in many European and US
centres. They have published a great number of papers in major nephrology journals and
are leading experts in the field of Dialysis and Hypertension (among others P. Nikolaidis,
N. Dombros, A. Lasaridis, V. Liakopoulos and P. Sarafidis). The nursing staff is
experienced and well trained. One dialysis nurse is responsible for 3 patients in every
shift. All our doctors and most of our nurses are English speaking. The department is
collaborating with a renal dietician and a social worker and runs a famous in-dialysis
exercise program.
Our Peritoneal Dialysis program is the first organized program in Greece and is well
renowned nationally and internationally. It has been founded in collaboration with the
Toronto Western Hospital were the late Dr Dimitrios Oreopoulos established Peritoneal
Dialysis as a feasible dialysis modality in the 1970’s. Four of our doctors (N. Dombros,
P. Nikolaidis, E. Balaskas and V. Liakopoulos) have been trained in Toronto and have
transferred their knowledge and experience in the AHEPA hospital. We offer both CAPD
and all forms of APD and handle all major PD systems (Baxter, Fresenius and Bieffe
Medital).
Patients with end stage renal failure are a special population. Due to the nature of their
disease, these individuals suffer from life threatening electrolyte and acid base disorders,
especially hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis. Defining these parameters is an urgent
situation. It is of notice that the achievement of acid base balance in our patients is an
additional quality marker of hemodialysis and should be regularly evaluated in all of our
patients. For all these reasons, the presence of an arterial blood gas analyser inside the
dialysis department is mandatory in order to save valuable time (the results can become
available in less than 2 minutes). The analyser should also provide serum lactate
measurements.
Central venous catheter placement is a routine medical procedure in every dialysis
department but it is not free of complications. According to published data, ultrasound
guided central venous cannulation minimizes complications and duration of the
procedure. Furthermore, Doppler ultrasonography is a valuable tool in both preoperative
planning of construction of a vascular access for hemodialysis and postoperative dialysis
access surveillance (native autologous arteriovenous fistulae and arteriovenous grafts).
Therefore, a portable colour Doppler ultrasound device with a linear high frequency
transducer for optimal vessel imaging is an essential tool in the management of vascular
access issues. It must be noticed that there is extended experience in the use of such a
device by the units’ medical personnel. This device could be helpful in performing
kidney biopsies as well. A different (curved) transducer with a biopsy needle guide will
be needed. Performing biopsies under ultrasound guidance will improve accuracy and
minimize complications of this procedure. Over 100 kidney biopsies are performed in our
department.
Several clinical trials are being performed in our department including dialysis patients of
our unit. These trials require blood samples from these patients who should be stored in a
minus 80 degrees Celsius freezer in order to be properly preserved and used in the future.
To sum up, the presence of
1. An arterial blood gas analyser
2. A portable colour Doppler ultrasound device with a linear high frequency
transducer and a curved transducer for abdominal ultrasound with a biopsy needle
guide.
3. A minus 80 degrees Celsius freezer
are essential for our dialysis unit in order to provide high dialysis quality services and
perform up-to-date clinical and laboratory research.