"Teacher Liu, Teacher Liu, please co over quickly."
Liu Banxia had just stepped out of Zhou Shuwen's office when he saw Liu Yiqing waving at him.
"Are the CT scan results for that patient out?" Liu Banxia asked.
"They're out. Negative. I've updated the patient's complete blood count and blood biochemistry, and his wife is accompanying him," Liu Yiqing said.
Liu Banxia took the CT films and inserted them into the viewing light. His brow furrowed slowly. Indeed, the results seed perfectly normal.
"Considering the current situation, what are your thoughts?" Liu Banxia asked.
"The CT scan rules out cerebral edema and tumors. I'm wondering if it could be encephalitis or so rare allergic reaction. Or perhaps... so sort of teratoma?" Liu Yiqing speculated.
Liu Banxia nodded. "Your suspicions could be quite accurate. Why don't you go chat with him? Given the current situation, it's not feasible to refer him to neurology yet; we have to figure out a preliminary diagnosis."
"Doctor, what exactly is wrong with Old Zhang?"
Seeing Liu Banxia and Liu Yiqing approaching, the patient's wife asked anxiously. This voice was familiar; it was the sa one who had been on the phone with Liu Banxia.
"His condition is sowhat complicated at the mont since he was admitted as an ergency case. He has experienced fainting spells and aphasia, accompanied by airway obstruction," Liu Banxia explained.
"So, we first perford a cricothyrotomy to ensure his airway was clear. Then, we sent him for a CT scan. At present, the CT results are negative; we haven't found any cysts, fluid accumulations, or tumors."
"Although no disease has been detected, I believe we can take so comfort in this for now. Given his symptoms, a tumor was our primary suspicion."
"He seems significantly more lively now than when he first ca in. Has he had any other discomfort in the past few days? Did anything unusual happen before he collapsed on the subway?"
"Nothing, everything was normal," the patient wrote on a notepad.
"Teacher Liu, I also inquired about his family history. There's only a history of high blood pressure, which is well controlled by dication," Liu Yiqing reported.
Liu Banxia nodded. "So, to expedite your diagnosis, we need to perform further tests. The first is a lumbar puncture to examine the cerebrospinal fluid."
"Based on his current symptoms, there's a possibility of encephalitis or ningitis, so this test is necessary."
"Doctor, is his condition serious?" the patient's wife asked.
"The key is to determine the cause of the symptoms. Given his current situation, I'm more inclined to suspect an intracranial infection or other conditions, such as a teratoma," Liu Banxia replied.
"If there's a teratoma in his body, and that teratoma contains brain tissue, our immune system might mistakenly identify his normal brain tissue as a target for attack."
"This doesn't require additional tests. The upcoming lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid examination will include the necessary antibody tests. Please try to recall carefully: have there been any recent changes in his lifestyle habits compared to usual?"
"Diseases often have so manifestations before their full onset. He might not have noticed them in his daily routine, but as an observer, you might have seen sothing different."
The patient's wife thought for a mont but still shook her head.
"Well, there's no need to worry then. Let's proceed with the lumbar puncture first and see what the cerebrospinal fluid tests show," Liu Banxia said.
"However, given his current condition, he needs to be admitted to the hospital ward, especially since he has undergone a cricothyrotomy. For his safety, we shouldn't remove the tube and suture it just yet."
"Because the cause of his condition hasn't been identified yet, there's a possibility his airway obstruction symptoms might return. However, there's no need to worry. Although a cricothyrotomy is an invasive intubation, it won't impact his life or health once it's sutured."
The patient's wife nodded, understanding that in the current situation, all they could do was follow instructions.
"Let's get ready for the lumbar puncture, then admit him to a ward, and monitor him closely," Liu Banxia instructed.
Liu Yiqing quickly got busy. Although Liu Banxia had done all the explaining, this patient was, in a way, her diagnosis too. She had made the sa initial observations as Liu Banxia. Having Liu Banxia explain everything was also to help calm the patient and his family.
When collecting the cerebrospinal fluid, Liu Banxia knit his brows slightly. Surprisingly, the patient's intracranial pressure was within the normal range. Typically, with intracranial infections, there should be so elevation. However, now was not the ti to bring this up. If he did, the patient and his family would undoubtedly start worrying. Better to wait for the test results. After all, disease symptoms are not always the sa; there can be special cases.
At present, there wasn't much more Liu Banxia could do for the patient. Even though he was a well-respected doctor, many decisions still depended on the test results.
Just then, Wang Chao happened to be passing by. Liu Banxia waved him over.
"President Liu, what's up?" asked Wang Chao.
"I've spoken to the director about the Chief Residency. I'll write up the report today and get the director's signature. The approval process might take about two days, and after that, you'll be the Chief Resident," Liu Banxia said.
"Huh? This soon? We're submitting the report already?" Wang Chao asked in surprise.
"What else did you expect? As things stand, when situations arise in the ward, they call for . Or if a patient becos unstable, the attending doctor often has to stay overnight at the hospital," Liu Banxia said.
"Normally, it won't be that busy. But as Chief Resident for the ward, you'll have plenty of responsibilities. You're also familiar with Sister Li; she can help you too."
"Ah… I just didn't expect it to happen so fast," Wang Chao said.
"I was estimating it would take another week or so. I never expected you to be so efficient! You just went ahead and did it."
"Let get so decent sleep at night, will you?" Liu Banxia said.
"Besides, I'll be here for the next month to guide you. When Qi Wentai takes over as Chief Resident, I'll guide him too. The workload isn't much different from what you're used to, so don't stress too much. You can handle it."
Wang Chao nodded. "In that case, I'll take tomorrow off. I need to have a good al with my parents at ho. Who knows when I'll get another chance?"
"You're not that stressed out, are you?" Liu Banxia asked, amused.
"You set such a high bar as Chief Resident; how can I not work hard? For at least the first month after taking up the position, I'll have to limit my rest ti," Wang Chao said.
Sotis, having an excellent colleague isn't exactly a blessing. They set such a high bar that even if you can't reach it, you at least have to try not to fall too far behind, right?
Even the proud Qi Wentai had been won over by Liu Banxia's dical skills. What else could he do but try to keep up?
"Don't forget to tell Officer Ma too; it's important," Liu Banxia added.
Wang Chao grinned and went off to the side, deep in thought.
Liu Banxia was amused; Wang Chao could be quite funny at tis. Qi Wentai still had patients to deal with, so Liu Banxia decided not to bother him for now. After all, Qi Wentai would have to wait until Liu Banxia officially stepped down before he could take over.
"Dr. Liu, Dr. Liu, has the leader of the criminal police team arrived yet?" Director Fang ran over to ask.
"My goodness, you guys work so fast?" Liu Banxia asked incredulously.
"Hehe, we're just making initial contact. We can't participate in the investigation itself. But after they wrap up the case, they'll give us so material so we can produce a special program," Director Fang said with a smile.
"It's thanks to you, though. But there's no reward for providing the clue. I thought I'd be able to spend more ti here with you, but it seems there won't be an opportunity for that."
"Having you guys here puts under pressure. I'm afraid sothing might go wrong and you'll film it. And I'm pretty sure it won't be edited out; it'll be broadcast directly," Liu Banxia said.
"Really? You haven't made any special arrangents, so why are you afraid?" Director Fang asked.
"Why wouldn't I be? Healthcare workers make mistakes too; only robots are infallible. It's precisely because we haven't made any special preparations that I'm concerned," Liu Banxia shared.
"Hello, Dr. Liu."
Just as Liu Banxia finished talking, a patient walked over.
"Uh... I vaguely rember you. Can I help with sothing?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.
"I ca to apologize to you. You ant well last ti, but I filed a complaint against you. Today I'm able to move around a bit, so I ca by," the patient said.
Liu Banxia paused, then laughed. "I rember now. I'm partly to bla as well; I was too blunt at the ti. The important thing is that you've co to understand. After all, your life is your own."
"Yes, I've been thinking these past few days. I'm giving up cigarettes and alcohol from now on – no more drinking or smoking. You were right; our lives are our own. Otherwise, if your life is gone, the money is gone with it," the patient agreed.
"That's good. Although I don't recall your face, I rember your case. The surgery was very successful, and your recovery is going well. But this was a serious illness, so you still need to take good care of yourself during recuperation. Did Dr. Wei discuss all the related matters with you?"
"Yes, yes, he explained everything in great detail," the patient said.
"Well, that's good. Get so rest now. Keep in mind that although you can exercise now, don't overdo it. Moderate exercise is best," Liu Banxia nodded.
"You go ahead with your work. I feel much relieved after having this chat," the patient said and then walked towards the elevator with the assistance of a family mber.
"Does this kind of thing happen often?" Director Fang asked with a smile.
Liu Banxia shook his head. "Generally, my attitude towards patients is amiable and friendly, so they all have a pretty good impression of ."
"I'm not bragging, but if I were to stroll through the ward around alti, I'd get my fill, with all sorts of dishes too. But I can't always be taking them up on their offers; I have to restrain myself a bit."
Director Fang laughed. This was no exaggeration on Liu Banxia's part. Having been at the Ergency Center for so long, Director Fang had indeed heard such anecdotes. However, these were usually special circumstances and not everyday occurrences. Nevertheless, it highlighted how much importance Liu Banxia placed on the doctor-patient relationship.
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