Internal Medicine is a medical specialty that diagnoses, treats, and monitors various disorders of the internal organs in adults. Internal medicine specialists aim to improve individuals’ overall health by focusing on diseases of internal organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, digestive system, and endocrine system. This specialty adopts a multidisciplinary approach to provide comprehensive health care, with the goal of improving patients’ quality of life and helping them lead healthy lives.
All patients admitted for treatment at NPİSTANBUL Hospital are screened for Metabolic Syndrome, Kidney and Liver Diseases, Electrolyte Imbalances, and Hormonal Disorders (such as thyroid disorders, etc.), vitamin deficiencies (vitamin D, vitamin B12, folic acid, etc.), hematological disorders, circulatory system diseases, and infectious diseases—all of which play a significant role in the development of the disease and the selection of treatment.
What Is Internal Medicine?
Internal Medicine is a medical specialty that covers a broad range of internal organ systems in adults. This specialty aims to diagnose, treat, and manage diseases affecting various internal organ systems, such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, digestive system, endocrine system, and rheumatology.
Internal medicine specialists focus on a wide range of health issues—from metabolic disorders to infections, and from chronic diseases to rheumatic conditions—with the goal of optimizing individuals’ overall health. In addition, these specialists adopt a multidisciplinary approach to provide comprehensive healthcare aimed at improving patients’ quality of life
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Internal medicine specialists possess continuously updated knowledge and skills, utilizing state-of-the-art diagnostic methods to provide the best possible solutions for patients’ health.
What Conditions Does the Department of Internal Medicine Cover?
Internal Medicine is a medical specialty that covers a wide range of internal organ systems. This specialty addresses various health issues, including respiratory tract infections, infectious diseases, hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disorders, cholesterol management, liver, stomach, and gallbladder diseases, lung diseases, kidney diseases, anemia and blood disorders, rheumatic diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders.
Respiratory Tract Infections: Internal medicine specialists treat diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the lungs, bronchi, and bronchioles are carried out in collaboration with otolaryngology and pulmonology clinics. Respiratory tract infections are known for their increased prevalence, particularly during the winter months, and internal medicine specialists strive for the early diagnosis and effective treatment of these conditions.
Infectious Diseases: Internal medicine takes a broader perspective than just upper and lower respiratory tract infections, addressing infections in various systems such as the urinary tract, skin, hepatitis, parasitic diseases, brucellosis, influenza, and sexually transmitted diseases. Isolation plays a crucial role in the treatment of infectious diseases, and internal medicine specialists play a leading role in effectively controlling such diseases.
Hypertension: Internal medicine clinics use medical diets, lifestyle changes, and medication to manage hypertension, a condition characterized by consistently elevated blood pressure.
Hypertension is a condition that can lead to serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems. Internal medicine specialists work to minimize these risks by regulating their patients’ blood pressure.
Diabetes: Internal medicine specialists treat both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Insulin therapy, antidiabetic medications, and a medical diet play a key role in managing diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that causes irregular blood sugar levels, and internal medicine specialists guide their patients to effectively manage this condition and prevent complications.
Thyroid Disorders: The diagnosis and treatment of disorders resulting from irregular thyroid gland function are carried out in collaboration with internal medicine and endocrinology clinics. The thyroid plays a key role in regulating metabolism; therefore, internal medicine specialists strive to optimize their patients’ overall health by ensuring the effective management of thyroid disorders.
Cholesterol: Internal medicine specialists use methods such as diet, lifestyle changes, and medication to regulate cholesterol and other blood lipids. High cholesterol is a risk factor that can increase the risk of heart disease, and internal medicine specialists focus on protecting heart health by keeping their patients’ cholesterol levels under control.
Liver, Stomach, and Gallbladder Diseases: Internal medicine treats damage and functional disorders affecting the organs of the digestive system. Conditions such as fatty liver disease, stomach ulcers, and gallstones fall within the scope of internal medicine specialists. These specialists employ a wide range of interventions to protect their patients’ digestive health and treat related issues.
Lung Diseases: Internal medicine specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases such as asthma, COPD, and fluid buildup in the pleural cavity. Patients with advanced-stage diseases may be referred to pulmonology clinics. Lung health is an important part of overall health, and internal medicine specialists strive to optimize their patients’ respiratory health.
Kidney Diseases: Internal medicine specialists treat conditions such as kidney infections, kidney stones and sediment, and acute and chronic kidney failure.
Kidney health is essential for maintaining balance by filtering waste products and excess fluid from the body. Internal medicine specialists use various methods to protect their patients’ kidney function and effectively treat kidney diseases.
Anemia and Blood Disorders: Internal medicine deals with the treatment of rheumatic diseases such as soft tissue rheumatism, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory rheumatism. Rheumatic diseases often cause joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, and internal medicine specialists evaluate various treatment options to ensure these conditions are effectively managed.
Rheumatic Diseases: Internal medicine specialists treat rheumatic diseases such as soft tissue rheumatism, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory rheumatism. Rheumatic diseases can often cause joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, and internal medicine specialists evaluate various treatment options to ensure these conditions are effectively managed.
Musculoskeletal Disorders: Internal medicine specialists diagnose and treat complaints such as pain and osteoarthritis occurring in various parts of the body.
Postmenopausal osteoporosis is also monitored by internal medicine specialists. Musculoskeletal health is crucial for overall mobility and quality of life, and internal medicine specialists help their patients take the necessary steps to maintain the health of these systems.
Internal medicine adopts a broad, multidisciplinary approach to comprehensively address various health issues and aims to improve patients’ overall health.
What Tests Are Performed in the Internal Medicine Department?
In the Department of Internal Medicine, various tests and examinations are used to diagnose, treat, and monitor diseases. These tests are determined based on the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and physical examination. Internal medicine specialists typically use the following tests:
Blood
Tests:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC): Assesses the number of blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets).
- Biochemical Profile: Measures the chemical components of the blood, including assessments of kidney function, liver function, and electrolyte levels.
- Blood Sugar Tests: Fasting blood sugar, postprandial blood sugar, and HbA1c measurements are performed for the diagnosis and management of diabetes.
- Lipid Profile: Assesses cholesterol, triglyceride, and lipoprotein levels.
Urinalysis:
- Urinalysis: Examines the color, specific gravity, and pH of urine, along with its sediment content. It provides information about kidney function and urinary tract diseases.
Imaging Tests:
- X-ray: Used to visualize the lungs, heart, stomach, intestines, and other internal organs.
- Computed Tomography (CT): Used to produce detailed images of organs.
- Manyetik Rezonans Görüntüleme (MR): Used to obtain detailed images of soft tissues, joints, and internal organs.
Electrocardiogram (ECG): Used to evaluate heart rhythm, heart rate, and electrical activity.
Echo (Echocardiography): Used to evaluate the structural and functional characteristics of the heart.
Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT): Measure respiratory system function and aid in the diagnosis of respiratory problems such as asthma or COPD.
Endoscopic
Examination:
- Gastroscopy: Used to examine the inner surface of the stomach and duodenum.
- Colonoscopy: Used to examine the inner surface of the large intestine.
- Bronchoscopy: Used to examine the airways.
Immunological Tests: Used to diagnose diseases related to the immune system.
Thyroid Function Tests: Used to evaluate hormone production by the thyroid gland.
These
tests are commonly used methods in the Department of Internal Medicine to diagnose diseases, guide treatment, and assess the patient’s overall health. During the treatment process, appropriate treatment plans are developed based on the results of these tests, and the patient’s health is closely monitored.
The Relationship Between Systemic Diseases and Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders
Although psychiatric and neurological disorders are brain disorders, the brain functions in interaction with all other systems of the body. Metabolic disorders, circulatory system disorders, and endocrine system disorders all affect brain function. For this reason, our hospital—which began operating through a collaboration between neurology, psychiatry, and psychology—has also provided services in the field of Internal Medicine since its inception.
As a result, similar to our counterparts around the world who provide services at the highest standards, we conduct comprehensive evaluations of our patients both before treatment and throughout the treatment process.
In addition to identifying pathologies that contribute to the development of psychiatric conditions by affecting brain function, the early detection and treatment of systemic pathologies that may influence treatment selection and course have been carried out under the responsibility of the Internal Medicine specialty.
1- Metabolic Syndrome: This can be simply defined as noticeable but asymptomatic changes in blood sugar, blood lipids, and blood pressure. It is a disorder characterized by an increase in abdominal fat and accompanied by a familial predisposition. There are publications indicating that it plays a role in the pathogenesis of certain psychiatric disorders (such as bipolar disorder).
It can also be described as the onset of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, which is classified by the World Health Organization as a high-risk disease.
Metabolic syndrome is a significant health issue not only due to its association with psychiatric disorders but also because it increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Since it can manifest alongside weight gain in predisposed individuals during the course of psychiatric treatment, monitoring this aspect is essential throughout the treatment process.
2- Kidney Diseases: Silent kidney diseases, which do not cause noticeable symptoms until they reach the end stage, may be responsible for symptoms thought to be psychiatric in nature and are also important in the selection of personalized treatment. If a medication planned for use in the treatment of a patient with silent kidney failure is excreted through the kidneys, the dose must be reduced, or an alternative medication that is excreted through the liver must be selected.
In some cases, brain involvement associated with certain connective tissue diseases affecting the kidneys can be diagnosed through the detection of kidney disease.
3- Liver Diseases: As with kidney diseases, many cases of liver disease are asymptomatic. The condition may go unnoticed until it reaches an advanced stage. However, identifying this condition is also necessary when selecting a personalized treatment plan. In the presence of liver disease, the dose of a drug excreted via this route is reduced, or an alternative drug excreted via the kidneys is selected.
In cases such as alcohol and substance abuse, the extent of liver damage is important for both the patient and the doctor in terms of determining the approach during the treatment process.
4- Electrolyte Imbalances: The concentration of elements such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in the circulation must be measured to anticipate both complications that may arise during ECT and unexpected adverse events that may develop during the patient’s treatment.
Since low and high levels of calcium and potassium affect cellular excitability, these are parameters that must be monitored for both cardiac arrhythmias and brain disorders such as epileptic seizures. In psychiatry, ensuring these levels are normalized, particularly during ECT, is important both for treatment efficacy and the frequency of treatment side effects.
Furthermore, the elderly patient population, in particular, can be adversely affected by even small changes in blood sodium levels; despite a decrease, brain functions—which may still be sufficient for daily life—can deteriorate rapidly.
5- Hormonal Disorders: Thyroid hormones, in particular, must be at normal levels to ensure the proper functioning of brain cells, just as they do for all other cells in the body.
An excess of thyroid hormones can exacerbate manic-like psychiatric disorders, while a deficiency can worsen conditions such as depression.
Adrenal gland disorders can also facilitate the onset of certain psychiatric disorders or mimic their symptoms (e.g., panic attack-like presentations).
