SLMC Opens New Clinic for Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease

St. Luke's Medical Center ("SLMC"), the premier healthcare institution in the Philippines, has launched the Interstitial Lung Disease ("ILD") Clinic within its facilities. Under the Institute of Pulmonary Medicine, the ILD Clinic is a one-stop shop for patients who want to avail of services for managing the disease, from screening to treatment.

"ILD is a group of chronic lung disorders that cause progressive lung inflammation and scarring, which makes it hard for the lungs to get enough oxygen," Dr. Janeth Samson, Head of SLMC Institute of Pulmonary Medicine-Quezon City, said. "To ensure our patient's health and respiratory wellness, early detection is important to prevent the progressive decline of lung function—and this is what our ILD Clinic aims to do."

Symptoms of ILD include chronic shortness of breath, dry cough, and getting tired more easily from exercise. In various cases, patients can be misdiagnosed with pneumonia, asthma, or tuberculosis due to the similarity of symptoms. This is why ensuring patients get the proper treatment they need at a crucial point in their lives is essential.

SLMC's ILD Clinic offers a screening package aimed at helping patients receive an accurate update on their pulmonary health. For just Php 9,100.00, the package includes:

• a complete pulmonary function test
• a 6-minute walk test
• Multidisciplinary team discussion and management at the Institute of Pulmonary Medicine 

In addition, the initial FREE one-time CT scan with ILD protocol which patients can avail of after securing a doctor's referral, allows more accurate disease detection. The adopted CT scan protocol of St. Luke's ILD Unit is the benchmark for radiographic diagnosis of ILD and is not available to other hospitals in the Philippines.

St. Luke's ILD clinic's approach emphasizes the importance of personalized care for each patient, as ILD can present differently in each individual. By taking a holistic approach that considers each patient's unique medical history, symptoms, and lifestyle, the clinic can provide tailored treatment plans that improve patient outcomes and quality of life. St. Luke's experts will guide patients into availing of a holistic treatment for ILD.

"Most cases of ILD are from unknown causes, while for others, ILD can be traced to exposure to toxic substances in the environment, medications, genetics, radiation, or maybe complications of connective tissue diseases. While ILD may be a challenging health condition, our patients should not feel alone in their fight as SLMC will be there every step on their road to recovery," Dr. Samson stated.

Schedule a consultation at St. Luke's Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic today. For inquiries, please contact St. Luke's Product Information Hub at 0919-057-7744 (call) or 0919-160-7744 (text). You may also send an email to [email protected].