Introduction
A hospital is defined as an institution that provides health care to the sick people by the use of specialized equipment and stay. However, in some instances, a hospital may provide temporary or long time residence for the patients depending on the needs of individual patients (Roderick, 35). For this reason a modern hospital has specialized professional ranging from the physicians to the nurses who provide treatment to specific categories of the patient. Therefore, a hospital has several departments providing specific kinds of treatment. This paper will consider what sorts of services are provided by some of the departments in a hospital.
Hospital departments
Neurology
This department is meant to attend people who experience problems with their nervous system. The department deals with all the diseases that attack the central, periphery and also autonomic nervous systems. Also in this category are the effectors tissues and all the blood vessels that supply the nervous system. Neurosurgeons are the professionals who are trained to treat such diseases. The most common diseases that are encountered in this department are: epilepsy, dementia, multiple sclerosis, headaches and movement disorders. During the testing process, a neurosurgeon examines the history of a patient with a special emphasis on the current situation of a patient. The major test for patients involve the test on the performances of the brain whereby the sensation and the coordination of the cranial nerves is tested. Such test helps a neurosurgeon to establish whether the problem exists in the nerves.
Cardiology
This is the department that deals with diseases that affect the heart. The professionals who treat such diseases are called cardiologists. The most common diseases that are handled in this department are: heart failure, coronary artery diseases, and congenital heart defects. Cardiologists determine the prevalence of cardiac disease by carrying out a blood test in order to determine the behavior of cholesterol transport and levels of blood sugar. Another test for cardiac disease is the one that determine the presence of cardiac stress; this test help to determine the presence of cardiac hypoxia which is related to exertion. This test is achieved through increasing the amount of patient’s exercises until the heart relaxes. Clinical research has indicated that an accurate heart rate of a patient can be determined by deducting a patient’s age from 220 beats per minutes.
Obstetrics and Gynecology
This is the department that deals with cases related to female reproductive organs. Gynecologist are professionals trained to on surgical management of the clinical pathology of females reproductive organs as well as providing health acre to either pregnant and the non-pregnant women. Gynecologists are trained professionally to address the hormonal functioning of a patient are responsible for the reproduction issues like infertility. According to Roderick (34) “specialists primarily focus on the treatment of infertility, reproductive endocrinologists are trained to also evaluate and treat hormonal dysfunctions in females and males outside of infertility.” Gynecologists are also trained to treat women who experience difficulties in their urinary system. Consequently, urogynecology is a subspecialty of gynecology that trains specialists on surgical practices to be applied in the treatment of patients with this kind of a problem. The test for this problem involves the historical assessment of the patient with more emphasis on the current symptoms.
Dermatology
This department is meant to handle patients with skin problems. Dermatologists are the professionals who are trained to address cosmetics problems of the skin, nails, hair and scalp. The most common diseases that are treated in this department are; skin cancers warts and precancerous growth. The presence of the skin problems is easily identified by the physical appearance of a patient. Due to the broad nature of the skin, there are several subspecialties in this medical profession. For instance, the department of dermatology has professionals who are trained in specialties like: dermatopathology, cosmetic dermatology, immunodermatology, pediatric dermatology, teledermatology and Mohs surgery. Some of the therapies that are provided by dermatologists in this department are: cosmetic filler injection, laser therapy, hair transportation and removal, photodynamic therapy which is used to treat skin cancer, cryosurgery which is used to treat warts, skin cancer and other skin diseases.
Gastroenterology
This is the department that deals with the digestive system and its disorders. Gastroenterologist are professionals who are trained to treat diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract, this tract involve all organs from the mouth to the anus and through the alimentary canal. Some of the common diseases that are reported in this department are: cholera, giardiasis, colorectal cancer, among others. The gastrointestinal tract is also an important component of the immune system. Barrett described this tract as “the surface area of the digestive tract is estimated to be the surface area of a football field”. The low pH levels that range from 1 to 4 create a non-favorable environment for many microorganisms which come there.
Pediatric
The pediatric department is charged with the care and treatment of children, infants and teenagers. This specialty has become one of the most vital departments of any health facility. The key major services given by this department is to give care and treatment to the ambulatory patients. Some of the most cases which a pediatrician deals with includes; giving follow up intervention of trauma cases such as dislocations, fracture and minor surgery, giving ear, nose and throat care and treating pediatric cardiology cases. Some of the technologies associated with this department include; diagnosing trauma cases using CT scan machine and performing PET scans which is vital in identifying early onset of pediatric cases such as osteochondromas & osteoblastomas.
Orthopedic
The orthopedic department deals with surgery for the case of patients musculoskeletal problems. Professionals who perform this task are called orthopedic surgeons and the treat diseases like sports injuries, musculoskeletal trauma, congenital disorders and tumors. Orthopedic surgeons use arthroscopic techniques to treat patients in this department. This technique entails reconstruction of ligaments that are torn and cartilage surgery. Another major problem that is presented to this department is the knees replacement especially for the old patients. However, orthopedic surgeons have invented a new technique to address this issue. This new technique involves the use of all metal implants instead of the traditionally used metal on plastic implants.
Pulmonary
This department deals with the treatment of patients who suffer form respiratory diseases. Diseases that are treated in this department are those associated with disorders in the breathing system. Most of the diseases treated in this department results from blockage of the breathing system. An example of such diseases is pulmonary embolism which is a blockage that occurs on the lung main artery. Diagnosis involves identification of the medical history, physical examination and the assessment of the clinical probability. According to Risse (41) “early primary research has shown that in low/moderate suspicion of PE, a normal D-dimer level (shown in a blood test) is enough to exclude the possibility of thrombotic PE”.
Oncology
Oncology department deals with cases associate with tumors or cancer. Professional sin this field are called oncologist and their main concerns for patients include: diagnosis of cancer, therapy, they continue following the behavior of a cancer patient after treatment and also screen the presence of the disease in patients. Diagnosis of cancer involves the medical history of a patient. However, there are specific symptoms which an oncologist observes; for instance, the patient exhibit patients like, fatigue, unexplained anemia, weight loss, fever, or some patients also suffer from pereneoplastic phenomena. There are various methods to diagnose cancer; these methods are biopsy, endoscopy, X-rays, MRI scanning and CT scanning. Biopsy is the most appropriate method amongst the many interventions that are used and it is used to diagnose the tissues which have been exposed to surgery in post surgery patients.
Endocrinology
This is the department that deals with disorders affecting the endocrine system. This department therefore focuses of the responses of the hormones that are secreted by the endocrine glands which exist in this system (Risse, 45). These secretions are responsible for the various activities in the body including growth, respiration, metabolism, excretion, reproduction, sensory perception among others. Endocrinologists are the specialists who treat patients in this department. Diseases that are treated in this department result from hormones imbalance in the body. Such diseases are diabetes and hyperthyroidism. Therefore specialists in this department are concerned with the treatment of the organs that secrete the respective hormones. Diagnose of such diseases involves the examination of the patients symptoms followed by laboratory tests through excitation, stimulation or suppression testing. In the laboratory, stimulating agents are injected into the patient’s body so as test the response of the organ. Blood test is later carried out in order to determine the behaviors of the hormones. Most of the diseases that are treated in this department are chronic and therefore the care or the patient is usually long term.
Works Cited
Barrett, Peter. Science and theology since Copernicus: The Search for Understanding. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2004.
Risse, Gabriel. Mending bodies, saving souls: a history of hospitals. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.
Roderick, McGrew. Encyclopedia of medical history. London: Macmillan, 1985.