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Pulmonology

Details about our services
GRMC Lung & Infectious Disease Center

About Our Pulmonology Services

Michael Agustin, MD FCCP FAPSR 

Dr. Michael Agustin is a Pulmonologist and Critical Care Physician. He came to Guam in 2016 after completing a Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at the St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center / Tufts University in Boston Massachusetts. He served his residency at the Memorial hospital of Rhode Island, Brown University. He graduated from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines.  Dr. Agustin pioneered the creation of a comprehensive Pulmonary Department on Guam now known as the GLID– GRMC LUNG and ID Center. 

Dr. Agustin is triple-Board Certified in Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine and Internal Medicine from the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has previously served as GRMC’s Director of the Intensive Care Unit and Chair of Medicine Department. He is now the Director of GLID Center.

Conditions treated:

  • Asthma
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Pneumonia and other Pulmonary infection
  • Bronchiectasis
  • Lung mass / Lung nodules
  • Lung Cancer
  • Occupational respiratory diseases
  • Pleural diseases
  • Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Interstitial lung disease / Pulmonary Fibrosis
  • Chronic Cough and work-related respiratory issues
  • Pulmonary Tuberculosis
  • Emphysema

Diagnostic tests and treatments available:

  • BronchoscopyA procedure during which a physician examines the upper and lower airways by looking through a fiber-optic camera called a bronchoscope. The bronchoscope is also used to perform biopsies, therapeutic aspirations and to retrieve foreign bodies lodged in an airway.
  • Pulmonary Function Testing This involves 3 separate tests used to evaluate lung health. They are a Spirometry Test, a Lung Volume Test and a Single Breath Diffusion Test. These tests measure how well the lungs take-in and exhale air, as well as how effective oxygen is transferred to the rest of the body.
  • Cardio-Pulmonary exercise test
  • 6-minute walk test, methacholine challengeIn this procedure, sterile water is flushed through the distal airway using a bronchoscope. The flushed fluid is then examined for the presence of infectious microorganisms or abnormal cells.
  • In-dwelling pleural catheter placement
  • Thoracentesis
  • Asthma biologics treatment
  • Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Lung Cancer ScreeningLow dose CT scans are available to check for lung cancer. Smoking cessation programs are available through our Patient Education Department.
  • Endobronchial or Transbronchial Biopsy using a bronchoscope, small pieces of tissue can be removed from a lung for examination. Lymph nodes surrounding the airway can also be aspirated with the use of a small needle. These procedures help in diagnosing lung mass and aid in the evaluation of the stages of lung cancer.
  • Thoracostomy or Chest Tube PlacementDuring a Thoracentesis a thin plastic tube is inserted into the space between the lungs and the chest wall in order to collect fluid outside the lungs which is then examined for disease. The tube can also be used to insert medication to decrease the likelihood of fluid accumulation. This procedure is known as pleurodesis.

GRMC Lung & Infectious Disease(GLID) Center

Our Doctors

Ghassan Samaha, M.D.

Pulmonologist, Critical Care

Michael Agustin, M.D.

Pulmonologist, Critical Care

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