SPCSK, Medical University of Warsaw

Department of Neurology is based in a University hospital. Its team has a long standing expertise in the area of neuromuscular diseases. HCP serves as a primary center for patients from Warsaw with various neurological diseases and as a referral center for patients with neuromuscular diseases in Poland. Specialized care is provided for children and adults with acquired and hereditary NMDs. There are over 3000 patients hospitalized in the Department of Neurology each year. This number includes approximately 300 hospitalizations of children and at least 600 of adults with neuromuscular diseases. These are new cases and also patients who are admitted for acute indications or eg. periodically for IVIg treatment.

Neuromuscular service includes outpatients clinic, acute care (with Neurological Intensive Care Unit), diagnostic service and palliative care with home ventilation program. Multidisciplinary team with cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, radiology, neuropathology, intensive care, neurophysiology, physiotherapy, and general surgery, including liver transplantation are available under the same roof. Nephrology Department provides plasma exchange for patients with myasthenic crisis or Guillain-Barre neuropathies. We have access to genetic testing and immunological tests.

Our team of professionals is involved in research conducted both locally and in an international cooperation. 61 papers coauthored by our NMD team members were published during the last 5 years (2012-2016).

National database for patients with hereditary NMD was started as part of TREAT-NMD project. Myasthenia Gravis database was started during our cooperation in the Euromyasthenia Network. National ALS database is also carried out at our Department. Databases are linked to biobank.

We are a teaching hospital. Lectures and practical training on NMDs is provided to medical students, physiotherapy students, dietitians, and speech therapy students. Postgraduate training is organized for neurologists and pediatric neurologist as a part of continuous education program. Neuromuscular team members actively participate in national and international congresses and teaching courses. We cooperate closely with patients’ organizations.

Department of Neurology is also active as Clinical Trial Site. We participate in clinical trials in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Myasthenia Gravis, Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome and Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy.

In 2015 we became GBS/CIDP Excellence Centre: http://www.gbs-cidp.org/get-support/centers-of-excellence