> Haematology Ward

The haematology ward is comprised of 30 beds, distributed in rooms of between 3 and 6 beds.
It is equipped with an aspiration system, oxygen, reanimation and emergency equipment. Access to Intranet and Internet is installed, and on-line medical prescription and an administrative system for the hospitalisation of patients will be in place shortly.
Soon it will also be possible to request on-line complementary exams and imaging. There is a clinical team constituted by one clinical head and five doctorís assistants, who are assigned to three specific pathological sections. This subdivision into medical teams has permitted the gaining of specific knowledge and the adoption of specialised practices, thus allowing for the optimisation of results by adopting standardised therapeutic protocols.

There are three teams:
> One for the treatment of acute leukaemia and aplastic anaemia, under Dr. Ana CrisÛstomo;
> One for the treatment of chronic mieloproliferative and lymphoproliferative diseases, under Dr. Isabel Sousa;
> One for the treatment of the pathology of haemostasis, under Dr. Rosa Maia.

With a high yearly hospitalisation rate ñ an average of 860 patients ñ and an occupancy rate nearing 98%, there is access to all the diagnostic laboratory tests based on immuno-cytochemistry and immuno-hystochesmistry techniques, cytogenetic molecular biopsy (flow cytometry , FISH, PCR, RT_PCR), cytogenetics, as well as the aid of the transfusion of deleukocyted/radiated blood products.

> Special unit for immuno-depressed patients

Destined to the isolation of patients in the profound post-chemotherapy neutropenia phase, this special unit is constituted by 2 bedrooms and a nursing room, equipped with positive pressure filtered air using HEPA filters. There is a permanent team of: 2 doctors, six nurses and 1 member of auxiliary staff, working in collaboration with various medical trainees. Begun in February 1989, it was initially destined for patients with acute leukaemia undergoing treatment for induction of remission or intensive stabilisation, patients with aplastic anaemia undergoing ATG, and intensive chemotherapy of the lymphomas. From June 1996, and with the creation of the Cellular Therapy Unit at the Coimbra University Hospital, this special unit has been destined for the hospitalisation of patients submitted to an autologous transplant with peripheral haemotopoietic parents. This work is performed in collaboration with a team of immuno-haemotherapists and a nurse, who are responsible for cytapheresis and cryobiology. This unit is open to patients not only from the Haematology Unit of Coimbra University Hospital but also from the whole central region of Portugal.

Until the end of 2004, 138 autologous transplants had been performed with the following pathologies:
> LMA patients aged under 60, without an HLA compatible donor, in 1st RC (except LMA-M3) ñ 20 patients.
> Myeloma multiple-patients aged over 70, in RC or suitable response ñ 27 patients.
> Hodgkinís disease ñ patients aged under 60, refractory/reappeared disease, in RC or good RP ñ 23 patients.
> LNH follicular/B cells ñ patients aged under 60, refractory/reappeared disease, IPI intermediate/high in RC or good RP- 36 patients.
> Locally metastasised carcinoma of the breast, with adjuvant therapy, in patients aged under 60 ñ 27 patients.
> As therapeutic reinforcement in 3 cases of Ewingís sarcoma, 1 carcinoma of the ovary, and 1 cholangiocarcinoma.

The necessity for expansion of the unit, due to the growing number of patients requiring high level chemotherapy and autologous or allogenic cell support, will result in the presentation of a project for the creation of a larger unit, which will hopefully become a reality in the near future.