We are the combination of four hospitals: the General Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, the Women’s Hospital and the Traumatology, Rehabilitation and Burns Hospital. We are part of the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus: a world-leading health park where healthcare plays a crucial role.
Patients are the centre and the core of our system. We are professionals committed to quality care and our organizational structure breaks down the traditional boundaries between departments and professional groups, with an exclusive model of knowledge areas.
Would you like to know what your stay at Vall d'Hebron will be like? Here you will find all the information.
The commitment of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital to innovation allows us to be at the forefront of medicine, providing first class care adapted to the changing needs of each patient.
The General Hospital offers all the medical specialities for adults, and has a proven track record. Patient care is comprehensive and essential in the process of identifying the causes of the disease and its treatment.
How to get there
The Vall d’Hebron General Hospital is a leading centre offering a wide range of highly complex medical and surgical services for the care of adult patients. It also plays a key role in the transition from paediatric to adult care, ensuring continuity of care for patients with chronic or complex conditions previously treated by the Vall d’Hebron Children’s Hospital. Such coordinated care ensures patients can progressively adapt to the adult services, improving their quality of life and long-term medical follow-up.
We are also a reference hospital for various accreditations. You can view them here.
The General Hospital Surgical Block is one of the most modern and technologically advanced facilities in Catalonia. It has state-of-the-art operating theatres that incorporate high-precision imaging systems, robotic technology and tools for minimally invasive surgery. These facilities enable the medical teams to perform highly complex procedures with maximum safety and efficiency, reducing patient recovery times and minimising postoperative risks. The Surgical Block also integrates digital systems that facilitate coordination between specialities and efficient resource management.
The General Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a pioneer in implementing the Smart ICU, a system that integrates connected medical devices and secondary use of data to improve the monitoring and treatment of critical patients. This innovation enables professionals to obtain real-time information on the patient’s status, optimise decision-making and personalise treatment to their clinical course. Thanks to this technology, complications associated with long ICU stays have been reduced and patient safety has been improved, favouring recovery and reducing hospitalisation times.
With the completion of the work on the Emergency Department, the General Hospital has concluded the roll-out of a new emergency care model based on speed and efficiency. The renovated facilities are designed to streamline patient flows, reduce waiting times and improve coordination between different departments. The space has new triage and observation areas, and technology to provide more structured and efficient care. This new model has transformed care for emergency patients, improving both the patient experience and healthcare professionals’ response capacity.
The General Hospital has implemented the One Step Ictus project, a pioneering initiative that optimises care for patients with ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke. The model concentrates the whole approach to stroke in a single direct-access room, in which diagnostic tests such as CT scans can be carried out, fibrinolytic treatments administered and, if necessary, endovascular interventions performed. This reorganisation shortens the time between the arrival of the patient and the start of treatment, improving prognosis and reducing neurological sequelae. One Step Ictus puts the General Hospital at the cutting edge of care for this pathology, offering patients the best possible healthcare response.
Suicide is a common cause of death. Around one million people die by suicide every year worldwide. In our country, suicide has remained the leading cause of external death (INE, 2017). It is estimated that suicide attempts (SA) occur 10–20 times more frequently than suicide. Within the broad spectrum of suicidal behavior, there are high‑lethality suicide attempts (HL‑SA), which are the closest to completed suicide.
Medically serious suicide attempts (MSSA) or high‑lethality suicide attempts (HLSA) are defined as those involving severe organic compromise, regardless of their psychiatric severity.
Within the wide spectrum of suicidal behavior, MSSA are the closest to completed suicide, and the two groups overlap substantially, sharing common characteristics. In addition, MSSA carry a higher risk of subsequent death by suicide compared with low‑lethality suicide attempts.
An important aspect to consider is that evaluating survivors of a severe suicidal act allows direct information to be obtained from the survivor, unlike completed suicides, in which assessment is carried out indirectly through third parties (psychological autopsy). Being able to assess individuals who have come so close to suicide is of great value for understanding the psychological mechanisms behind severe suicidal behavior and for identifying warning signs to prevent suicide.
A considerable percentage of these cases show underlying psychiatric disorders, mainly affective disorders (Depression), followed by Personality Disorders and other Substance‑related Disorders. Other non‑psychiatric and socio‑environmental risk factors must also be assessed: the presence of severe or chronic medical conditions, functional limitations and their impact (such as in people with physical disabilities or older adults), and social support.
Most patients present depressive symptoms that do not always coincide with a recent stressful event. They often have a history of previous suicide attempts. Prior to the MSSA, they typically experience thoughts of wanting to die or a more structured suicidal ideation.
People with an unstable or untreated psychiatric disorder—particularly unipolar affective disorders (Depression)—may be more predisposed to suicidal behavior.
In the event of an MSSA, it is essential to assess and treat any underlying psychiatric disorder.
Once the patient has recovered from the life‑threatening situation, a comprehensive approach is required, addressing both clinical and socio‑environmental aspects. Clinically, it is crucial to evaluate and treat any psychiatric condition. After medical discharge, referral to the mental health network is important, as well as activation of the Suicide Risk Code, which ensures follow‑up after hospital discharge.
Medical‑psychiatric history and psychological evaluation.
Combat myths that perpetuate the social stigma surrounding suicide and assess suicidal ideation in individuals with clinical and sociodemographic risk factors.
Legionellosis is a lung infection caused by Legionella pneumophila, found in contaminated water. It spreads through inhaling contaminated water or vapor, causing fever, pneumonia, muscle pain, and general malaise. It mainly affects older or immunocompromised people. Diagnosis involves cultures, antibody detection, or chest X-ray. Treatment is early antibiotics, and prevention relies on monitoring and disinfecting water systems.
Legionellosis is a disease caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, which typically lives in contaminated water systems, such as water pipes, ponds, cooling towers, swimming pools, or hot tubs.
It is acquired through inhalation after contact with contaminated water, either by bathing in it or being in nearby areas, as the bacteria can spread from the water into the surrounding air.
It generally causes a lung infection in the form of pneumonia, which, if not diagnosed and treated promptly, can become severe and life-threatening.
Legionellosis produces the typical symptoms of pneumonia—fever, chest pain, and difficulty breathing—along with severe muscle pain and a significant overall decline in health, with pronounced malaise.
Legionellosis can affect anyone who comes into contact with the causative bacterium, but it is more common in elderly or immunocompromised individuals who have been exposed to contaminated water or inhaled vapor from such water.
Diagnosis is made by detecting the bacterium or antibodies against it in the blood, once suspected based on clinical characteristics (age of onset, fever, severe general malaise, muscle pain) or radiographic findings (pneumonia affecting large areas of the lungs). Isolation of the bacterium is relatively recent, as it requires special culture media.
In fact, Legionella was not identified as a cause of pulmonary disease until 1976, during a pneumonia outbreak at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia, from which it gets its name.
Legionellosis responds well to specific antibiotic treatment. Early initiation of treatment is very important.
Chest X-ray, blood tests for antibodies against Legionella, and specific cultures to identify the bacterium.
Epidemiological surveillance of detected cases (water pipes, air-conditioning towers, pools, or hot tubs involved) is crucial to disinfect them.
When a case of legionellosis is detected, public health authorities conduct an investigation to locate and eliminate the source.
Legionella does not tolerate high temperatures well and is usually eliminated by temporarily raising the temperature of the water systems. To ensure the bacterium is fully eradicated, these measures should be carried out by specialized professionals.
Coronary artery disease includes the pathology of the coronary arteries. These arteries supply blood to the heart. Coronary artery disease affects approximately 6% of the adult population, although this prevalence has shown an increasing trend in recent years.
Coronary artery disease can present with various symptoms, but the most characteristic is angina, or chest pain. It may also be accompanied by sweating, shortness of breath, arm pain, or palpitations.
The disease most commonly affects men over 50 years of age.
To diagnose this disease, a thorough medical history and physical examination are required; however, the key diagnostic tool is cardiac catheterization.
There are essentially three pillars in the treatment of coronary artery disease. First, medical treatment, which is reserved for mild cases; second, coronary intervention; and third, coronary surgery. Different severity scales are used to decide when a patient requires percutaneous treatment or is a candidate for coronary revascularization surgery.
The first test performed on patients presenting with chest pain is an electrocardiogram. From there, depending on the severity of the case, a stress test may be done in stable cases, or cardiac catheterization may be performed directly in clear-cut cases. Catheterization provides the definitive diagnosis.
Prevention plays a very important role in this disease. Although there are isolated cases with few risk factors, the vast majority of patients have cardiovascular risk factors.
The most important measures to adopt for both primary and secondary prevention are:
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