ABSTRACT

Bedside pulmonary consultations (BPC) in Gülhane Military Medical Academy during 7 month-period were recorded prospectively in order to evaluate clinical characteristics of the cases, the investigations performed during BPC and the conclusions. Five hundred and ten patients 220 (43.1%) of whom were female, 290 of whom (56.9%) were male and mean age of whom was 57±18 (16-102) were consulted at bedside. BPC requests were made from 15 (56.7%) internal and 10 (43.2%) surgery departments. Ninetyfour (18.4%) were consulted as emergency. The most frequent reasons for BPC were respiratory symptoms and radiological abnormalities in 218 (42.7%) and 99 (19,4%) of the cases respectively and the most frequent radiological finding was pleural effusion (14.5%). Hypoxemia was detected in 39.4% (201) of the patients. Computed tomography, sputum examination for acid-fast bacillus and tuberculosis culture and pulmonary function testing were ordered in 136 (26.7%), 76 (14,9%) and 64 (12.5%) of the cases respectively. Pulmonary infection, an obstructive lung disease and a cardiac disease were diagnosed and normal respiratory system finding were detected in 70 (13.7%), 70 (13.7%), 52 (10.2%) and 97 (19%) of the cases respectively. As medication, bronchodilator, heparin and steroids (inhaled or systemic) were ordered in 191 (37.5%), 137 (26.9%) and 93 (18.2%) of the cases. Of the BPCs requested from surgery departments 64 (28.8%) were in preoperative and 158 (71.2%) were in postoperative period. As a result, postoperative pulmonary complications in surgery departments and pulmonary infections and obstructive pulmonary diseases in internal departments were determined more frequently with BPC.