The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 405 Anxious as if on fire

Even though this was supposed to be a test for Xu Yino, Liu Banxia didn’t actually leave but walked behind the curtain.

"Ma’am, why don’t you just get examined? A CT scan doesn’t emit much radiation. I can accompany you there, okay?" After a slight hesitation, Xu Yino spoke.

"Doctor Xu, I’m really okay. I’ve been in pain for a long time. If it were really serious, could I still be moving around like this?" the patient said with a smile.

"But our Teacher Liu is very skilled. You see, although he seemed nonchalant about it, he wouldn’t have upgraded your X-ray to a CT scan if he didn’t suspect something," Xu Yino said.

Liu Banxia found it somewhat amusing. Was Teacher Liu’s skill the sole reason? To the patient, who on earth was Teacher Liu?

"Ma’am, you’ve scraped your leg in this fall, and you’re still wearing thin cotton trousers; you must have fallen quite hard. Your back was also pressed against the scooter’s pedal. You really should get it checked," Xu Yino continued to persuade her.

"If there’s nothing wrong, then we will all be relieved. If there is a problem, we can intervene early. You also mentioned that the pain you’re experiencing now is worse than before, didn’t you?"

"Well, alright, I’ll go and get one done," the patient finally gave in.

Liu Banxia exhaled. Initially, he hadn’t thought much of it. But the simultaneous onset of back pain and slowed leg movement strongly suggested a problem. Indeed, symptoms are often interconnected. A spinal injury was a strong possibility. Of course, chemotherapy can cause nerve damage, typically peripheral neuritis. While this could lead to the current leg symptoms, it usually doesn’t cause back pain.

He wasn’t focused on this patient for the moment; his greater concern was the university student. She was in severe heart failure, and he worried if the upcoming resuscitation would be successful.

"The surgery was successful. It is indeed viral myocarditis, and a very severe attack," Meng Qingfan said to Liu Banxia as he stepped out of the catheterization lab.

"Let’s move her to the ICU first for close observation. I hope that the partial bypass can alleviate some of the pressure on the heart, leaving enough time for the medicine to work."

"Dr. Liu, I believe our emergency center needs a dedicated coronary intensive care unit. We see many patients with this condition during seasonal changes. If medical staff with relevant experience could care for them, the outcomes would be significantly better."

"Doctor Meng, the director and the Chief Director have discussed this," Liu Banxia hastily replied. "However, the hospital is currently very short-staffed. Once we have enough personnel, establishing it will definitely be a priority. That’s certain."

"Okay, that gives me some assurance. I will pay more attention to this patient," Meng Qingfan said with a smile and a nod.

"Also, this patient currently has no family members with her. We’ve already performed the surgery, so please don’t forget to handle the paperwork. It’s also crucial to contact her family, as her condition is still very dangerous."

"Alright, I’ll take care of it right away," Liu Banxia responded.

He knew Meng Qingfan’s words meant the patient was in an extremely critical state. To put it bluntly, she might not survive the resuscitation attempt.

He was also troubled. As the number of patients increased, the staffing shortage in the emergency center was becoming more acute. It felt like everyone was asking him for more staff. He didn’t have the ability to conjure people out of thin air; the hospital administration was probably just as stressed.

When he got back, he passed the contact work to the dispatch nurse, as he still had to help with admissions. Most of the incoming patients were actual common cold cases, while others required wound debridement, suturing, and the like.

Although there were many patients for consultation, he gained little experience and few skill points, as these were all simple cases.

However, with his participation, the number of patients in the waiting hall had reduced considerably. He might not be able to perform surgeries, but he had no problem with debriding and suturing wounds.

"Teacher Liu, here, the CT images are ready!" Just as he was about to take a break, Xu Yino rushed in, full of energy.

Liu Banxia took a look and furrowed his brows. "Invite an orthopedic doctor for a consultation, and inform the patient to contact her family. If she doesn’t have surgery, she will become paraplegic."

"Alright, I’ll go right away," Xu Yino ran out again.

Liu Banxia followed. He still had to supervise and see if Xu Yino could be objective in describing the condition.

"You had difficulty walking before. Chemotherapy wasn’t the direct cause. Rather, it’s because the chemotherapy led to some osteoporosis. See this crack? This is your twelfth thoracic vertebra; you have a minor fracture."

"Today, you had another fall, and the situation with this fracture has worsened. You see this fragment? It’s already pressing against your spinal cord. We need to deal with this surgically, or you will become paraplegic."

Liu Banxia nodded inwardly. Not bad at all. Her description was very objective. This also showed Xu Yino had put significant effort into learning to read films; otherwise, she couldn’t have been so comprehensive.

"President Liu, what’s the situation?" At this moment, Wu Mingyu from orthopedics hurried over.

"This patient is inside. Let’s go in," Liu Banxia said.

Once inside, Wu Mingyu also looked at the CT images.

"The original fracture was very slight, so you only felt mild pain, with a bit of impact on your leg," Wu Mingyu said.

"However, because you didn’t pay much attention to it and were frequently active, it hasn’t healed. Today’s fall has made the fracture more severe," Wu Mingyu continued.

"The procedure we can use is a decompression surgery. We’ll remove the fragments and implant a supportive brace here. Then, we’ll perform a spinal ablation. You need to make your decision quickly; otherwise, it may be too late."

"I’ll do it. I’ve already contacted my husband; he’ll arrive soon," the patient hastily replied.

She had no other thoughts at this point. Even though she couldn’t understand the films, Xu Yino’s explanations had been very detailed. Moreover, she felt her legs were significantly "heavier" and less responsive than usual.

"Let’s do the preoperative examination. I’ll go reserve an operating room. Doctor Xu, please explain the surgical procedure and potential complications to the patient," Wu Mingyu nodded.

"Xu Yino, you’ll assist with this surgery," Liu Banxia said.

Xu Yino nodded and quickly called the nurses to perform the preoperative examination.

Even though this patient’s condition was urgent, none of the necessary examinations could be skipped.

With that case now set for routine surgery, Liu Banxia returned to the ICU. Sure enough, Meng Qingfan was also there.

"Doctor Meng, any improvements?" Liu Banxia asked.

Meng Qingfan shook his head. "Her heart is becoming increasingly dependent on external support, and the medication might not be working. Doctor Zhu and I were just discussing whether to administer intravenous immunoglobulin and perform plasma exchange."

"These methods can prevent the patient’s immune system from attacking her myocardium in its attempt to eliminate the infection, but the risks are particularly high and can only be used as a last resort."

Liu Banxia frowned, puzzled by how complex the patient situations had become over the last two days. There was indeed a high risk of complications such as allergies and infections.

The patient was already suffering from viral myocarditis. Even a slight complication could pose a direct threat to her life, possibly leaving no time for resuscitation.

However, it couldn’t be helped; this patient had delayed too long. Mistaking myocarditis for a common cold had caused the problem.

"Doctor Meng, where do we set our critical threshold?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Body temperature and the heart’s ability to beat. Let’s prioritize body temperature, as it’s a very direct indicator. We must intervene when it nears 40 degrees Celsius, or it might be too late," Meng Qingfan said.

Liu Banxia glanced at the monitor. "The patient’s current temperature is 39.6 degrees Celsius. Let’s set the threshold at 39.8. If the patient’s family isn’t here, we can take direct action without waiting for consent."

"Alright, I’ll monitor her closely here and get everything prepared." Meng Qingfan looked at him and nodded seriously.

He understood Liu Banxia had made this decision to spare him a difficult choice. Many issues were involved. With no family present, if the patient’s condition worsened, they would have to proceed with resuscitation immediately. However, this particular resuscitation method had significant side effects, and the patient’s family might not understand their actions later. This was the helplessness of being a doctor; often, there weren’t many choices.

As soon as he walked out of the ICU, Liu Banxia saw Xu Yino waiting outside, looking anxious.

"Don’t tell me your patient has also developed complications," Liu Banxia said with a bitter smile.

"Teacher Liu, the effects of chemotherapy are quite significant. During her preoperative examination, we discovered chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy. Teacher Xu’s assessment is that the patient might not survive the surgery," Xu Yino said with a troubled expression.

Liu Banxia clenched his teeth, barely resisting the urge to punch the wall. Today’s two patients were far more challenging than yesterday’s. Yesterday’s patient had an unknown condition initially, making effective diagnosis and treatment impossible. Today, both patients had been diagnosed, but one wasn’t responding well to treatment, and the other’s body couldn’t withstand the necessary surgery.

"What’s Doctor Xu’s opinion?" Liu Banxia asked, trying to suppress his frustration.

"Teacher Xu’s opinion is to first send the patient to the ICU for an amiodarone drip to stabilize her condition in the shortest possible time, giving her a better chance," Xu Yino quickly replied.

"Okay, let’s follow Doctor Xu’s plan for now. I need to think," Liu Banxia nodded.

Despite his calm appearance, he was anxious inside. He knew that even the amiodarone drip was just a temporary measure; they truly didn’t have much time. If that bone fragment caused permanent spinal cord damage, the patient would be paraplegic. Given her current physical state, delaying surgery might seem like the safest option. But the cost was too great. Since she was in the hospital, as long as there was even a sliver of hope, they had to help her, to save her legs.