Department of Internal Medicine №1

History of the department

Department of Internal Medicine # 1 of Bogomolets National Medical University is one of the oldest therapeutic departments in Ukraine, Europe and the world. It has existed since 1844 and was one of the first departments of the medical faculty of the Kyiv University of St. Vladimir, founded in 1841.

For more than 165 years of history, the Department of Faculty Therapy # 1 was headed by such prominent scientists and doctors with world-famous names as VP Obraztsov, FG Yanovsky, MD Strazhesko, VM Ivanov, G. Ya. Burchinsky. Each of them has left a vivid trace in the history of Ukrainian medicine.

Thanks to these scientists, the department constantly implemented the latest achievements of world medicine into clinical practice. At various times, outstanding medical discoveries and reports were made at the department for the first time in the world, Europe, Russia, the USSR, or Ukraine. Among the most important are the following:

1. VP Obraztsov. Development of principles of deep methodical sliding palpation of abdominal organs, which are currently used all over the world (VP Obraztsov, MD Strazhesko). The first experience in pre-revolutionary Russia of the use of electrocardiography in the diagnosis of heart disease (VP Obraztsov). The first description and explanation of such cardiological phenomena as the rhythm of the gallop, the rhythm of the quail, the normal third tone of the heart (VP Obraztsov).
2. M. D. Strazhesko. The world’s first intravital diagnosis of myocardial infarction (coronary vascular thrombosis) and description of its three clinical varieties – anginal, asthmatic and gastralgic forms (VP ​​Obraztsov, MD Strazhesko). Development of the theory of rheumatism, classification of heart failure, description of “cannon” tone with complete atrio-ventricular blockade, opening in Kyiv of the Institute of Clinical Medicine (MD Strazhesko). Description of diagnostic changes in the Traubes half-moon space in pleurisy, semiotics of lung cancer, clinics and prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis (FG Yanovsky). Development of classification of gastric and lung cancer, development and introduction into medical practice of the method of computed tomography (VM Ivanov ). Creation of a school of Ukrainian gastroenterologists, basic works on peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, known in Soviet times a textbook “Internal Diseases” (GY Burchinsky).

The department has written one of the world’s first work on establishing the role of H. pylori infection in recurrent peptic ulcer of the duodenum, the first in the post-USSR countries   implementation of 13C-breath tests, Bravo capsules and new enzyme immunoassays (determination of fecal elastase 1, pyruvate kinases etc.) and video capsule endoscopy in gastroenterology, the first work on the application of food intolerance testing (VG Perederiy).

Since 2016 the department has been headed by Professor Vadim Shypulin, Honored Doctor of Ukraine, a well-known popularizer of medical science in Ukraine. Under his leadership, the Department of Internal Medicine # 1 today is a close-knit team of experienced medical researchers, like-minded people, who strive for continuous improvement of medical knowledge, introduction of new methods of diagnostics and treatment of various diseases of internal organs.