Department of Functional Diagnostics started its autonomous functioning in January, 1980. Foundation of the Department of Functional Diagnostics in Belarus was a ground for the services of functional and ultrasound diagnostics.
Training courses at the department started in May, 1980 and were held by two specialists: head of the department G.A. Vechersky and assistant E.S.Komplikova, Candidate of Medical Sciences.
By the end of 1982 staff formation of the department had been completed. The staff was represented by the following specialists: professor G.A. Vechersky, associate professor L.G.Baranov, assistants, Candidates of Medical Sciences E.S. Komplikova, M.S. Satsuk, V.G. Lisyutin, S.M. Komissarova, laboratory assistant Z.S. Kutsenko; anatomist A.S. Bychkovsky. All of them were highly experienced specialists, having a huge clinical and pedagogical work experience.
The department implemented the following innovations into the diagnostic process: electrocardiography, rheography, phonocardiographia,polycardiography, spirography, tachooscillography, and later also ultrasound methods of cardiovascular system examination, internal organs and endocrine system organs. At that time scientific interests of the specialists included the following: study of indicators of neuro-humoral regulatory systems in the conditions of acute and chronic ischemic heart disease, and at heart rhythm disturbances.
Professor G.A. Vechersky headed the department from 1980 to 2000 and then continued to work at the department as a professor. At present he is a pensioner.
Since May, 2000, A.G.Bulgak, an Associate Professor, was chosen as a head of the department. At present he is a deputy director of therapy care at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center “Cardiology”, a chief part-time specialist in functional diagnostics of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus.
Since March, 2008 until present L.Y.Ushakova has been head of the department, who started to work at BelMAPE from September, 2005 as an assistant. At present the staff is represented by the following specialists: L.Y.Ushakova, head of the department, associate professors E.A. Vertinsky, I.N. Ponomarenko and O.A. Kashtalyan; senior teachers S.A. Chizh and M.P. Zharikhina.
Specialists of the department has been implementing modern technologies of diagnostics and medical control, continually they have redesigned training program on the specialty «Functional diagnostics», have been preparing new test questions for appraisal of listeners.
For many years clinical base of the department had been situated at City Clinical Hospital of Emergency Medical Care. At present the department is situated at Minsk Diagnostic Advisory Center and at the 2nd City Clinical Hospital. The department coordinates divisions of functional diagnostics and advisory division of Minsk Diagnostic Advisory Center, divisions of functional diagnostics of the 9th City Clinical Hospital and the 2nd City Clinical Hospital, Minsk Pediatric Outpatient Clinic №»20, does the rounds at the division of resuscitation and intensive care at the 9 City Clinical Hospital, participates in consilia, clinical and pathological-anatomical conferences.
Advanced training courses at the department
- Instrumental diagnostics of ischemic heart disease (for physicians of functional diagnostics, physicians of ultrasound diagnostics, cardiologists, therapists)
Tasks of the course: improvement and acquisition of new knowledge about possibilities of Holter monitoring, exercise tolerance tests, echocardiographic research in diagnostics of ischemic heart disease with the interpretation of received data.
- Instrumental diagnostics of rhythm disturbances and cardial conduction
Task of the course: improvement and acquisition of new knowledge about possibilities of Holter monitoring, transesophageal cardiostimulation and transesophageal ECG in diagnostics of main disturbances of rhythm and conduction, ischemia, selection of antiarrhythmic therapy, possibility of cardiostimulation in relief of heart rhythm disturbances etc.
- Ultrasound diagnostics of heart and vessel diseases
The course aims at improvement and acquisition of new knowledge about basic physics of ultrasound, possibilities of echocardiographic research and peculiarities of ultrasound picture at the most widespread heart and vessel diseases.
- ECG-diagnostics of rhythm disturbances and asequence
The course aims at the improvement and acquisition of new knowledge in instrumental diagnostics of rhythm disturbances and asequence, study of possibilities of Holter monitoring and transesophageal cardiostimulation in detection of rhythm disturbances and asequence, detection of life-threatening arrhythmia and modern therapy with consideration of performance criteria
- Basics of echocardiography
Advanced training program «Basics of echocardiography» was adopted for physicians of functional diagnostics, physicians of ultrasound diagnostics. The course helps to get modern knowledge about biophysical basics of ultrasound, possibilities and limitations of echocardiographic research, peculiarities of ultrasound picture at the most widespread heart diseases: acquired heart defects, non-coronarogenic myocardium diseases, infective endocarditis, ischemic heart disease with the interpretation of acquired data.
Task of the training: improvement and acquisition of new knowledge about possibilities of holter monitoring in diagnostics of main rhythm disturbances and asequence, ischemia, monitoring of arterial hypertension in diagnostics of the most widespread diseases of cardiovascular system with the interpretation of received data
- Echocardiography of acquired valvular diseases
The course aims at improvement and acquisition of new knowledge about basic physics of ultrasound, possibilities of echocardiographic research and peculiarities of ultrasound picture at the most widespread heart diseases: acquired cardiac failure, pulmonary hypertension, infective endocarditis
Retraining «Functional diagnostics»
The retraining is carried out on the following topics: “Anatomy and physiology of cardiovascular system», «Clinical cardiography», «Ultrasound diagnostics of heart and vessel diseases», «Ultrasound investigation of internal organs and endocrine system», « Ultrasound investigation, rheographic and neurophysiological research methods».
Aim of the retraining course «Functional diagnostics» is teaching of functional diagnostic physicians the issues of heart anatomy, blood supply, cardiac conduction system, heart functions, clinical electrocardiography, mastering of methods of instrumental diagnostics of rhythm disturbances and cardiac conduction disease, and also diagnostics of ischemic heart disease, teaching them the method of ultrasound diagnostics of heart and vessel pathology, modern ultrasound technologies, methods of ultrasound diagnostics of internal organs pathology and endocrine pathology, modern ultrasound technologies, applied in sonography, issues of pneumotachometry, spirography, rheoencephalography, rheovasography, electroencephalography, electromyography an induced potentials of brain.
Clinical work of the department is represented by the following activities:
- Diagnostic researches: ECG, holter monitoring, functional exercise tolerance tests, 24-hour monitoring of arterial hypertension
- Echocardiography, transoesophageal echocardiography, ultrasound vessel examination
- Respiratory function investigation
- Electroencephalography
- Consultations of diagnostic researches
- Consultations in inpatient clinics
- Consultations in outpatient clinics and other medical establishments
- Rounds and concilia
Scientific activities
Staff of the department is actively involved in scientific work. Priority fields of scientific work are the following ones: study of cardiovascular system conditions, involuntary nervous system conditions, psychological peculiarities of patients with socially important diseases: ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension, duodenal ulcers, diseases of hepatobiliary system, at combined pathology.
Researches were carried out in the framework of initiative scientific and research work on the topic: “To improve the method of complex diagnostics of patients with socially important diseases (ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension, duodenal ulcers, diseases of hepatobiliary system) depending on the condition of involuntary nervous system and psychological state”.
Staff of the department continues to study peculiarities of heart affection at acute myocardial infraction, thromboembolia of the pulmonary artery, infectious endocarditis. Echocardiography, transoesophageal echocardiography, exercise stress tests, Holter monitoring are widely applied in scientific researches.
Staff of the department studies peculiarities of echocardiogram, ultrasound vessel examination. Method of 3-D transesophageal reconstruction of heart seat valve is carried out at the 9th clinical hospital. The technology of Х-Plane for evaluation of segmental damage of mitral valve has been implemented at the 9th and 2nd Minsk Clinical Hospitals. For determination of the type of myocard damage at different heart pathologies (cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, ischemic heart disease) other visualization methods started to be used more frequently (МРТ). Lectures on ultrasound diagnostics are given with the application of videos.
Clinical residents are got acquainted with the functional diagnostics methods at the department.
Within 25 years of its functioning staff of the department has published more than 600 scientific works.
Within the last 5 years staff of the department published more than 20 articles, more than 60 theses, 16 guidance manuals have been published.
