Which hospital is good for respiratory diseases?

The first-tier hospitals in the country for the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases include the First Affiliated Hospital of Shouting Medical University (Guangzhou Respiratory Health Research Institute), Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, and the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of West China Hospital of Sichuan University. They are also among the top choices in the country all year round.

Speaking of which, this echelon ranking did not come out of thin air. The Guangzhou Respiratory Research Institute itself is the benchmark for domestic respiratory disease research. From SARS to the new coronavirus, it has always been a leader in the field. I have a friend who has a rare pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis. After more than half a year of checking at the provincial capital hospital, no diagnosis was found. The symptoms of coughing and wheezing were getting worse and worse. Finally, someone contacted the expert number of the respiratory research institute, and the diagnosis was confirmed in less than a week. Now, I have been followed up for almost four years. The condition is under stable control, and my daily work and travel are not affected.

However, not all respiratory problems have to go to these top hospitals. For common flu, bacterial pneumonia, common allergic rhinitis and asthma, the respiratory department of the local regular tertiary A hospital can completely handle it, and even community hospitals can handle it symptomatically. After all, the number of appointments in these top hospitals is very tight. General outpatient clinics have to be rushed, and specialist appointments may have to wait for a week or two. If ordinary ailments are delayed and treated in large hospitals, it will be more than worth the gain.

If you really encounter complex problems such as difficult respiratory diseases, severe pneumonia, requiring lung transplantation, or rare interstitial lung disease for which the local hospital cannot find the cause, it is safer to go to these top hospitals. For example, the Respiratory Department of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital has accumulated a particularly large number of cases in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism and COPD. In many places, COPD patients who cannot be cured can be transferred there. After adjusting the medication regimen, the quality of life can be greatly improved.

There are also many old patients who have been dealing with respiratory diseases for many years. They feel that they do not have to focus on the national rankings. Provincial chest hospitals and respiratory specialist hospitals in some places have more thorough research on local respiratory diseases that are highly prevalent, such as pneumoconiosis, pneumoconiosis, etc. in many industrial cities. Occupational lung diseases are highly prevalent, and local specialists may have more experience in the rehabilitation and intervention of such diseases than the general outpatient clinics of hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Not to mention the hassle of traveling across provinces, and the low reimbursement rate from medical insurance, it is not as cost-effective as finding a local specialist.

To be honest, when choosing a hospital, you really don’t need to stick to the word “best”. You should first clearly understand your own situation. Minor illnesses can be solved nearby, and difficult diseases can be treated with top resources. After all, most respiratory problems cannot be delayed. Early intervention and early treatment are the most critical.