Practicing Medical Skills in a Small Clinic-Chapter 93 - 92: Stubborn Skin Disease (Part 2)

The patient pointed to the back of her right thumb, where she could see a large area covered with dense red, pimple-like blisters; in some places, the skin had already cracked.

The skin is the first line of defense protecting the human body.

At the same time, the skin is also the most magical organ of the human body. Its marvel is even greater than that of the human brain.

To date, there are 713 unsolved mysteries about human skin that scientists have yet to decipher.

For instance, when someone quietly approaches us from behind, we may feel a tingling in the scalp. Even though no sound is heard yet, the skin can sense someone approaching before our ears do.

Moreover, when we close our eyes and use our hands to touch different objects, we can directly know the temperature, material, hardness, and weight of these objects through the tactile feedback of the skin.

...

Li Jingsheng always harbored a sense of fear when treating skin diseases for patients.

Because most skin diseases have a rather strong infectious nature.

He refrained from touching the patient’s hand.

He just focused intently on it.

Based on his experience, this was a typical case of tinea manus, a fungal infection.

"Does your left hand itch as well?"

Li Jingsheng noticed that in the brief time the patient was seated there, he had already scratched the back of his left thumb twice.

"This hand seems to start developing red particles too, and it’s very itchy."

The patient spoke while scratching his left hand with his right.

At this moment, his right hand also started itching, but he didn’t dare to scratch hard. Because once tinea manus progresses to blisters and cracks, the skin lesions become very severe. Scratching at this stage would cause excruciating pain.

"Have you used any medication?"

Li Jingsheng asked.

"Initially, an elder in my family told me to soak my hands in very hot water to scald the germs to death. After trying, I found it not only unhelpful but also made the affected area grow larger. Even the side of my ring finger developed some particles and began to itch."

Many people, when suffering from athlete’s foot, believe that scalding with hot water can cure it.

Such folk remedies are truly harmful.

It’s unknown who started spreading this.

The infected skin area, once scalded with hot water, gets stimulated, worsening the tinea manus instead.

"Haven’t you bought any medication to treat it?"

"I bought a tube of ’King of Dermatitis’ for 15 yuan from the pharmacy. It worked initially, with the skin oozing a clear liquid. But after a few days, it recurred. After several applications, its effect seemed to diminish, and now my girlfriend won’t even let me touch her."

The man looks about twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

He could endure the other troubles brought by tinea manus, but he definitely couldn’t bear his girlfriend forbidding contact.

"It appears to be tinea manus, a common condition. It is contagious."

Li Jingsheng didn’t continue, only informing the patient of its dangers.

"I’ve also heard it’s contagious; my left hand seems to be infected already. Do you have any solution for this?"

"Certainly, there are solutions; tinea manus isn’t hard to treat."

With just a few words from Li Jingsheng, the man immediately saw hope, and his previously tense expression instantly relaxed considerably.

It was evident that tinea manus had caused him significant mental stress.

"I heard your medical skills are excellent, so I specially came for your help. Dr. Li, please think of a way to help me."

Instinctively, the man wanted to grab Li Jingsheng’s hand to plead with him.

Frightened, Li Jingsheng quickly dodged backward.

This young man was too impulsive.

"The main issue with this disease is its longer treatment cycle. As long as you have confidence and persevere, it will heal. ’King of Dermatitis’ is a steroidal medication, and using it can easily lead to recurring symptoms. Here, I’ll prescribe you two tubes of Naftifine and Ketoconazole. You just need to apply it once every night before bed. Generally, applying it consistently for a week or two will make the symptoms almost disappear. However, at that time, you still need to persist in daily application."

Li Jingsheng carefully explained the medication instructions to the patient.

"How long should I continue applying the medication?"

Hearing it could be treated, the patient felt quite hopeful.

"Generally, applying it consistently for about a month should suffice. The skin renewal cycle is 28 days; as your hand lesion is quite severe, the cycle might be a bit longer."

Upon hearing it would only take about a month to recover, the patient immediately showed a relieved smile.

"No problem, please prescribe it for me! I thought this disease was incurable; turns out I just hadn’t found the right doctor!" The man apparently regarded the pharmacy sales clerk as a doctor.

If he had visited a regular hospital, the prescription would likely have been similar to Li Jingsheng’s.

Considering the patient’s tinea manus had persisted for quite some time and was quite stubborn, Li Jingsheng prescribed a compound drug.

For milder tinea manus, Ketoconazole alone would suffice.

"How much is it?"

"This medication is 23 yuan per tube. You can pay me 45 yuan for both."

Giving the patient a one-yuan discount is a very effective strategy.

Offering a discount easily wins repeat business.

"The service here is really excellent and professional. If only I’d known about you earlier, it would have been great. With an ailment, one should come to the clinic."

The man scanned the code to pay.

The treatment cost was surprisingly low.

Li Jingsheng’s diagnostic and treatment service was also very professional, making the man feel he had gotten a great deal.

"It’s not too late to know now. I hope you’ll continue to favor us in the future if you need anything."

Once this patient’s tinea manus is cured, he will very likely become a loyal customer of Sunshine Clinic.

"Oh, right, remember never to scald with hot water again; it will only worsen the condition. Also, it’s best not to scratch when it itches. If it really feels intolerable, you can apply this medication more times. Additionally, your towels, personal clothes, gloves, and washbasins all need to be disinfected. It’s best to disinfect them daily to prevent reinfection..."

Li Jingsheng detailed some precautions to the man.

Tinea manus is a fungal infection; eliminating fungi requires a temperature of 100 degrees. At such high temperatures, when the fungi are killed, the hands would be cooked too.

After seeing off the patient, Li Jingsheng checked the attribute panel.

The skin diagnosis still hadn’t appeared on the attribute panel, indicating it hadn’t reached the entry-level yet.

Treating this man earned him a total of 11 life value points.

Ten of which were from the man’s positive feedback.

Not bad.

His life value now stood at 184 points again.

It would be great if he could achieve the entry-level in skin disease diagnosis. There are quite a few skin patients, and both diagnosis and treatment are challenging. Not just in clinics, even the dermatology departments of tertiary hospitals are considered just average in skill.

Glancing at the counter, there was only one customer buying health supplements, seemingly hesitant. Tang Ping was trying to persuade the elderly, but she didn’t seem to be succeeding.

Seizing this free time, Li Jingsheng decided to call the elderly tuberculosis patient, hoping to persuade his son to stop making trouble.

After all, Director Mu had already helped Li Jingsheng with his apprenticeship.

He certainly needed to reciprocate.