Name of IHTC:
Munich Hemophilia Center of the Ludwig-Maximilian University (LMU)

Adults:
Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum der Universitaet Muenchen, Ziemssenstr. 1, D-80336 Munich, Germany
Phone: 49-89-5160-2211; Fax: 49-89-5160-2148

Pediatrics:
Haunersches Kinderspital, Klinikum der Universitaet Muenchen, Lindwurmstrasse 4, D-80337 Munich, Germany
Phone: 49-89-5160-2811; Fax: 49-89-5160-4453

Director:
Professor Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Schramm
E-mail: Wolfgang.Schramm@med.uni-muenchen.de

Pediatrics:
PD Dr. Karin Kurnik
E-Mail: karin.kurnik@med.uni-muenchen.de

Responsible for training:
Adults: Professor W. Schramm / Dr. Harald Krebs / PD Dr. Michael Spannagl
Pediatrics: PD Dr. K. Kurnik / Dr. C. Bidlingmaier / Dr. M. Olivieri
 
Year of IHTC designation:  1998
 


Description of training program
 
Clinical Activities:
The Munich Hemophilia Center is located at the University of Munich on the mid-town hospital campus (“Klinikum Innenstadt”) which comprises hospitals for all medical specialties.

The Hemophilia center comprises of two units for adults and pediatrics, working together in close cooperation.

The “Medizinische Klinik” itself is a 211-bed hospital for internal medicine, the children’s hospital comprises approx. 150 beds.
 
The Adult Unit of the Munich Hemophilia Center provides comprehensive care to a total of approx. 500 patients with hemophilia, von Willebrand disease or other blood coagulation disorders. Half of these patients (250) are patients with hemophilia/VWD.  Patients treated at the center must be over 14 years of age.  The Hemophilia Center is located within the Department of Hemostaseology and staffed by a professor of hemostasis and transfusion medicine, two physicians who specialize in internal medicine/hemostaseology and blood transfusion, and two specialized laboratory technicians.  The Center provides comprehensive care (including carrier analysis and prenatal genetic analysis which is done at a nearby university), and medical counselling for patients and carriers with regard to family planning.
 
Out-patient clinics are conducted Monday through Friday.  The emergency service is available 24 hrs a day.  The Hemophilia Center is consulted before any surgical intervention on patients with blood coagulation disorders. 

Patients with HIV infection/AIDS are accommodated in-house on regular wards. Our hospital has over 13 years experience with the diagnosis, treatment, and psychological counselling of patients with HIV/AIDS, and HIV/AIDS counselling is supported by the government of Bavaria.

The Pediatric Unit of the Munich Hemophilia Center is located in the “Dr. von Hauner’s Children’s University Hospital”, right next to the adult hospital. It is part of the Department of Pediatric Hemostaseology. Approx. 600 children per year are seen for various disorders of coagulation including thrombosis, approx. 200 of those are treated for hemophilia or Willebrand’s disease. The pediatric center is staffed by the head of the department of pediatric Hemostaseology (PD Dr. Karin Kurnik), two pediatricians and one hemophilia nurse. Apart from regular hemophilia care, the unit provides comprehensive care from diagnosis to treatment, especially during surgery, orthopedia, ENT and emergencies. Genetic analysis is done in cooperation with other centers and counseling is available for patients and family members. HIV and Hepatitis treatment is performed in house in the respective specialized clinics (Pediatric immunodeficiency clinic and Department of pediatric hepatology). Orthopedic counseling is provided in the center by specialized consultants from the Pediatric Clinic of the orthopedic hospital. Extensive laboratory tests are done by the adult unit of the Munich Hemophilia Center.

The pediatric hemophilia clinics are conducted Monday to Friday and an emergency service is available 24 hrs a day.

There are consultants for each specialty for both adults and children and in particular consultancy is available for gynecology, surgery, dental care, ENT, and psychiatry.

For adult and pediatric patients with hemophilia/vWD the Munich Hemophilia Center uses a separate psychological counselling service  (“Bluterberatung”) staffed by two counsellors, one part-time psychologist, one full-time social worker, and one  additional psychologist on a honorary basis.

Laboratory activities and research:
Large coagulation laboratory, which performs all tests and investigations necessary for the diagnosis and management of patients with inherited or acquired bleeding and thrombotic disorders, including molecular diagnosis and genetic diagnosis.  Fetal blood sampling is performed in the nearby Hospital for Gynecology.

Research is done in the following fields:

• hemorrhagic disorders and hereditary thrombophilia in both adults and children, esp. neonates
• standardization of reagents in hemostasis regarding the European Concerted Action against Thrombosis (ECAT)
• evaluation of clotting factor concentrates
• inhibitors of HIV protease
• epidemiology (National Registry of Hemophilia/VWD and other Blood Coagulation Disorders is being established; National Registry of Death Cases in HIV-Infected Patients with Hemophilia dates back to 1978)
• socioeconomics of hemophilia care

Description of IHTC facilities

Location:
The Munich Hemophilia Center is situated in mid-town Munich, one of the biggest cities in Germany.  Munich has one of the oldest universities (Ludwig-Maximilian University – LMU), which was founded in 1472 and has a long tradition and outstanding reputation for teaching and research.  The LMU is the largest university in the country with some 70,000 students.  It has special residential facilities for visitors & trainees.

Climate: Temperate. 

Language skills: English