Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine – Mount Lebanon Hospital University Medical Center

Our mission is to provide state-of-the-art patient care of the highest quality and compassion

Overview

The Pulmonary Department at Mount Lebanon Hospital University Medical Center offers complete evaluation and treatment for all diseases of the respiratory system.
Conditions may include (but not limited to): Shortness of breath, Chronic Cough, Chest Pain, Hemoptysis (Coughing of blood), Pneumonia and other infections, Asthma, COPD and Emphysema, Acute and Chronic Pulmonary Emboli, Pulmonary Hypertension, Sarcoidosis, Interstitial Lung Diseases, Pulmonary Vascular Diseases, Lung Cancer and Sleep Disorders.

A full range of Services are available including

Endoscopic Bronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) adds an ultrasound transducer to the distal end of the bronchoscope which allows the close positioning of the transducer to the region of interest offering the best approach for the diagnosis and staging of mediastinal and parenchymal lung lesions and cancer. The EBUS guides Trans-Bronchial Needle Aspiration (TBNA) anywhere in the bronchial tree, lungs, and mediastinal, sub carinal or peri-hilar lymph nodes. It is the gold standard technique that improves diagnosis, and TNM staging of central and hilar tumors, as well as solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN).
Arterial Blood Gas Testing
Pulmonary Function Tests
Bronchoscopy with Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL), Endobronchial Brush Cytology and Biopsies, Trans-bronchial lung biopsies.
Sleep Studies
Chest tube insertion and pleurodesis
Ultrasound guided pleural tap
CT Guided lung biopsies in coordination with the Radiology Department

A full range of services and activities are available including

Comprehensive Lung Cancer diagnosis and treatment options: Lung Cancer treatment is based on the type and stage of the tumor, and the patient’s general medical condition. Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination of these treatments.
Collaboration with thoracic surgeons when thoracic surgery is recommended to provide the best care available for our patients.
Multidisciplinary lung cancer treatment is provided through a team work with Medical Oncologists, Radiation Oncologists and Thoracic Surgeons in order to select the most appropriate treatment for each patient.
Weekly pulmonary staff meeting to discuss rare cases, interesting and teaching cases. This meeting is attended by all the pulmonary critical care specialists and by all the fellows in the division.

The ICU division

MLHUMC has the biggest ICU in the country. Two ICU units are available.
The first unit is basically for clean critical cases or for cases with infections due to non-resistant organisms. Its beds′ number is nine.
The second unit is for patients with infections due to multi drug resistant organisms and for patients transferred to MLHUMC from outside hospitals. Its beds′ number is eleven.
Four Pulmonary Critical Care Specialists ensures the work in the ICU. They provide the highest quality of care based on the most updated guidelines.
The ICU at MLHUMC is a referral unit for complicated and critical cases from all over the country.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, MLHUMC also inaugurated one of the biggest COVID ICU units with a capacity that reached 30 beds.

Respiratory Therapists (Inhalation Team)

They are important members of the health care team in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Department. They work under the supervision of the physicians, providing the best respiratory care for the patients.
Their responsibilities include:
Drawing Arterial Blood Gases
Administering Oxygen Therapy
Administering Oxygen Therapy
Teaching patients how to inhale the aerosols properly and how to use the incentive spirometer
Inserting Endotracheal Tube
Managing Invasive and Non Invasive Ventilation
Responding to Code Blue calls and to RRT calls.

Continuous Medical Education

Mount Lebanon Hospital University Medical Center is affiliated with the University of Balamand. Interns, residents and fellows rotate in the premises of the hospital and they benefit from an outstanding educational program.

Interns and Residents in Internal Medicine: They rotate in the ICU and in the pulmonary department. Their educational program includes:

Morning Reports
Bedside Rounds
Noon conferences
Weekly pulmonary staff meeting
Daily teaching talks in the ICU

Fellows in Pulmonary and Critical Care: They rotate in the ICU and in the pulmonary department. Based on a call list, they are available at all time to cover for all critical cases and for all emergency situations. Their presence has an add on value to the high level of care that is being provided at MLHUMC. Their educational program includes:

Bedside Rounds
Weekly pulmonary staff meeting
Daily teaching talks in the ICU
Learning of all the procedures related to their specialty (Intubation, chest tube insertion, ultrasound guided pleural tap, ultrasound guided CVC and Kimal insertion, FOB, EBUS, ABGs sampling).
Mastering of invasive and non-invasive modes of ventilation as well as oxygen delivery devices.