The Department of Emergency Medicine at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University was established in 1987 and formally recognized in 1988, with Professor ZHANG Yiduan as the first department head. Through the relentless efforts of several generations, it has grown into a comprehensive discipline that integrates medical care, teaching, and research, and has become a leading center for emergency and critical care in Southwest China. In 2013, it was recognized as a key discipline in Chongqing; in 2020, it was approved as the Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Emergency and Critical Care; in the same year, it also received the designation of Chongqing Clinical Key Specialty (Premium Project), which was officially granted in 2023. In 2022, the department ranked 49th in the China Hospital Science and Technology Impact Rankings, and in September 2024, it was approved for the Chongqing Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine “Flagship” Department Construction Project.
The Department of Emergency Medicine at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University has four departments, namely those of Yuanjiagang Campus, Jinshan Campus, Jingwei Campus, and Dalitang Campus, covering a total area of 8,500 square meters. The facilities include 22 rescue bed units, 2 debridement operating rooms, 90 observation beds, 10 general hospital beds, and 45 EICU monitoring units. The four departments form a physical layout of “one-body, two-wings, three-regions”, managed uniformly by the Main Hospital with coordinated development across all branches.
Over nearly 40 years, the department has established a tri-level service model that integrates pre-hospital emergency care, in-hospital emergency care, and intensive care. It strives to achieve the emergency goal of “rescue immediately upon call and admission upon boarding”. Leveraging enhanced information system support and management capabilities, the department has built five key medical centers - Stroke Center, Trauma Center, Chest Pain Center, Critical Maternal Care Center, and Hemoptysis Center - which are managed centrally, ensuring smooth green channel operations and advancing the front-line skills of specialized treatment.
The department has cultivated a highly skilled emergency care team comprising 200 medical, technical, and nursing staff. Many of these professionals hold academic positions such as committee members, executive committee members, and vice-chairpersons in various national and provincial academic organizations, including the Chinese Medical Association, Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Chinese Society of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Informatics, Chinese Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Anesthesia, Chongqing Medical Association, Chongqing Medical Doctor Association, Chongqing Society of Integrative Medicine, and Chongqing Acupuncture Association, etc.
The department is equipped with advanced emergency medical devices, including multifunctional defibrillators, cardiopulmonary resuscitation machines, multifunctional gastric lavage machines, video laryngoscopes, fiberoptic bronchoscopes, ventilators, Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) machines, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) systems, etc.
The medical team is highly skilled in and efficiently implements several core and cutting-edge technologies for the treatment of acute and critical illnesses, including but not limited to classical Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)-assisted CPR (ECPR), establishment and management of artificial airways, respiratory support, circulatory monitoring and therapy, extracorporeal life support (ECLS), bedside fiberoptic bronchoscopy for diagnosis and treatment, comprehensive bedside ultrasound assessments, ultrasound-guided invasive procedures for high-risk patients, bedside blood purification, comprehensive treatment for acute poisoning, and standardized treatment of insect and animal-induced injuries. Additionally, the department integrates Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western medicine in treatment to offer combined approaches for critical conditions such as AECOPD (Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), post-cardiac and brain resuscitation syndromes, acute stroke, and severe acute pancreatitis.
The department manages over 2000 emergency calls and referrals annually, sees more than 140,000 emergency visits and performs over 7000 critical care rescues with a success rate exceeding 98%. It observes approximately 23,000 patients annually and admits over 3,200 patients to the ICU. Its pre-hospital emergency and long-distance referral services extend to all districts of Chongqing and neighboring provinces and cities.
As the main unit of the national (Chongqing) emergency medical rescue team, the department’s staff are key forces in emergency rescue missions. They have successfully participated in rescue operations following the Wenchuan, Lushan, and Ludian earthquakes, the Nepal earthquake, and in the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2017, the department was approved as the Chongqing-France Emergency and Disaster Medicine Cooperation Center; in 2022, it was designated as a National Chest Pain Center and CPR Training Base.
The department was approved as a master’s degree granting institution in 2000, a doctoral degree granting institution in 2006, and in 2014 it was established as a standardized training base for emergency resident physicians. It is responsible for teaching courses in Emergency and Disaster Medicine and Clinical Skills at the undergraduate level, and for training undergraduates, postgraduates, and advanced trainees. Additionally, it participates in standardized residency physician training, general practitioner transition training, and various continuing education programs. Annually, it trains more than 500 undergraduate medical students, has trained over 100 postgraduate students in emergency medicine since 2015, and accepts over 600 residents for standardized rotation training and specialty training, as well as more than 20 general practitioners for transition training in emergency medicine.
In recent years, the department’s academic influence has significantly increased, with numerous projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation, provincial and municipal research grants, and the Chongqing Health Bureau.