The Department of Pneumology and Phthisiology of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of P. J. Safarik and the L. Pasteur University Hospital is an excellent clinical, pedagogical and research institution, which, in addition to research work level and pedagogical activities, provides comprehensive diagnostics and treatment of patients with diseases of the respiratory tract, lungs and pleura, both during hospitalization and subsequently in outpatient care.
The history of the clinic dates back to 1950, when the Tuberculosis Department of the then State Hospital in Košice was transformed into the Clinic of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. The head of the clinic was MUDr. L. Sobel, who led the clinic until 1968. Under his leadership, the clinic became a center for the organized fight against tuberculosis. In the years 1968-1979, the clinic was led successively by MUDr. Chmelík and MUDr. Kohútová. From 1979 to April 2004, the head of the clinic was Doc. MUDr. Ján Štubňa, PhD. Doc. Štubňa worked as a regional expert of the Eastern Slovak Region for tuberculosis and lung diseases, as a member of the Advisory Board of the Chief Expert of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic for tuberculosis and lung diseases, and as a member of the Slovak Society of Respiratory Physiology and Pathology. He significantly contributed to the study of genetically determined susceptibility to lung tumors induced by environmental factors.
From May 2004 to November 2017, the clinic was headed by Prof. MUDr. Ružena Tkáčová, DrSc., under whose leadership all branches of pneumology developed significantly, especially functional lung diagnostics including combined cardiorespiratory examinations; the field of sleep-disordered breathing and respiratory insufficiency, bronchoscopy diagnostics and oncopneumology. In recent years, the clinic has recorded significant quantitative and qualitative development in providing non-invasive ventilation to a wide range of patients. In 2012, a specialized Laboratory for Translational Research in Respiratory and Metabolic Diseases was established at the clinic, within which the research team led by Prof. Tkáčová cooperates with departments at the Faculty of Medicine, as well as with foreign departments.
Since 1 December 2017, the head of the clinic has been Assoc. Prof. MUDr. Pavol Joppa, PhD.
Currently, the Clinic of Pneumology and Phthisiology provides a wide range of diagnostic and treatment methods for the entire spectrum of diseases of the respiratory system on 44 beds: a) acute and chronic respiratory failure – continuous monitoring of vital functions, non-invasive ventilation, b) pneumo-oncology – bronchoscopy including transbronchial biopsies and cryobiopsies, brushing, bronchoalveolar lavage, c) specific and non-specific pneumonia and pleurisy, d) allergic, autoimmune and interstitial lung diseases, e) sleep-disordered breathing. The clinic cooperates with the II. Surgical Clinic of the UN LP in indicating a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic thoracic surgical procedures. Patients indicated for lung transplantation are referred to the national transplant center in Bratislava. The clinic made a significant contribution to managing the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic at the turn of 2020 and 2021.
The clinic provides undergraduate education for medical students, doctoral studies in internal diseases, and specialized training for doctors within the Faculty of Medicine of the University of P. J. Safarik. The Clinic of Pneumology and Phthisiology of the University of P. J. Safarik is one of three departments in Slovakia guaranteeing specialized training for doctors in the field of Pneumology and Phthisiology.
Research activities focus on studying the impact of hypoxia on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in diseases of the respiratory system, with the main research interest being systemic complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sleep apnea. Another key research focus is monitoring the impact of non-invasive ventilation and respiratory support with high-flow oxygen on hemodynamic and metabolic parameters, both in their acute use and in long-term use. The clinic’s staff has published more than 70 papers in impact journals in these areas, as well as in the issue of genetically determined susceptibility to COPD and lung tumors, which ranks the department among the highest quality clinical research departments in Slovakia.
