The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 497 Feeling helpless

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"Brother Xu, I think an allergic cause is more likely. It’s the season now with fewer mosquitoes and bugs, and she has been staying at home," Liu Banxia said after thinking for a bit.

"Also, I noticed just now that her swelling is somewhat different from typical allergic reactions. Sigh, this is really difficult to figure out."

"Let’s wait for the results of the toxin and allergen screening. This is my first encounter with a situation of this sort. If it really is an allergic reaction, the injection of dexamethasone will have an effect." Seeing the somewhat agitated Liu Banxia, Xu Hui consoled him.

He understood Liu Banxia’s current state of mind—it was the helplessness one felt when facing an unknown illness. After all, even if a doctor wanted to help a patient, they first had to determine the cause. Even relying on a doctor’s "intuition" required some direction.

Currently, there were two possible diagnostic directions: an allergy or poisoning.

Although the screening results had not yet come out, based on their medical knowledge, neither diagnosis seemed to fit. Dexamethasone had no effect, which basically ruled out an allergic reaction. Otherwise, even if it couldn’t precisely treat the symptoms, it would have shown some effect. That’s why anti-allergy drugs like Piriton weren’t used further.

The second possibility, poisoning, also seemed unlikely. Besides local physical effects, poisoning usually affects the central nervous system as well. But the patient was still clear-minded; apart from the swollen head, nothing else seemed wrong.

After a while, the screening results came out. The regular allergen screening was negative, and the rapid toxicology screen was also negative; everything appeared normal.

"Brother Xu, did you ask the patient if she has done anything to her hair recently? Could it be a chemical allergic reaction to hair dyes or hair care products?" Liu Banxia asked.

Xu Hui nodded. "I’ve asked. After her winter vacation started, the patient returned to Binhai City. At most, she went out with her high school classmates, but she mostly stayed at home."

"She hasn’t done anything to her hair or had any beauty treatments after coming back. The makeup products she used were her usual ones, and then today, things started going wrong." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"So, you mentioned that her foot was a little swollen a few days ago. Could that be related to the swelling of her head this time? Could it be that the condition had already started to manifest then, but its symptoms had shifted location?" Liu Banxia asked.

"I’ve considered that too," Xu Hui answered. "But aside from blood-related causes, how could it spread from her foot to her head so quickly? Especially since her foot wasn’t severely swollen and had returned to normal before her head started swelling."

Liu Banxia gave a bitter smile. Xu Hui’s medical expertise was no less than his; anything Liu Banxia noticed, Xu Hui surely would have as well.

There were many factors that could result in foot swelling. Considering the patient’s foot swelling had disappeared a few days before the current condition manifested, there was most likely no significant correlation. If her leg were swollen now, that would be a different story. This also conflicted with the allergy hypothesis. If the foot swelling was related, it must have been caused by the same allergen. But what kind of allergen would manifest so mildly the first time, and so much more severely the second time? Generally, allergic reactions impact the human body to roughly the same extent each time they occur.

Just then, Liu Banxia’s phone rang. Seeing it was Xu Yino calling, he immediately answered. "Has something happened to the patient?"

"Teacher Liu, the patient just reported feeling very uncomfortable. I checked, and she’s showing symptoms of laryngeal edema," Xu Yino said.

"Fortunately, we intubated her in advance; otherwise, it might have been too late to save her. What medication should we give her now? Do we need to conduct any other tests?"

Liu Banxia pinched the bridge of his nose. "First, administer Piriton intravenously. We should at least try it, regardless of whether it’s effective. We’ll continue to investigate thoroughly."

Xu Yino didn’t delay and hung up immediately.

"What happened?" Xu Hui asked.

"Just as we suspected, she’s developed laryngeal edema." Liu Banxia grimaced, a bitter smile on his face.

Xu Hui was stunned for a moment, then felt a wave of relief.

The possibility of something happening and it actually happening are two completely different concepts. Liu Banxia’s foresight had temporarily saved the girl’s life. But with this, a new problem had arisen: this illness was a ticking bomb, and nobody knew when it would detonate. Unless they could find the cause of the girl’s condition, even if she recovered on her own this time, what about the next? Would she always need someone by her side, ready to intubate her at any moment?

"Banxia, can you think of any other possibilities?" Xu Hui asked.

Liu Banxia shook his head. "Not only can I not think of any, but I also have no idea what other tests we should conduct now. Should we do a lumbar puncture? But her white blood cell count isn’t high."

Xu Hui frowned. "At the moment, the only thing we can be thankful for is that her liver and kidney functions haven’t been affected. There’s no sign of damage."

At this moment, a young man ran in through the entrance of the main hall. After asking a nurse for directions, he hurried towards Liu Banxia.

"Doctor, how is Xiao Yu doing now?" the young man asked as he reached Liu Banxia.

"Sun Xiaoyu is the patient we were just discussing," Xu Hui explained, then asked, "How are you related to Sun Xiaoyu?"

"I’m Sun Xiaoyu’s boyfriend," the young man said. "I rushed over after receiving a call from her uncle. She was fine yesterday. Why is she hospitalized today? And intubated?"

"We are also currently investigating the cause of her illness. You’ve come at just the right time. Have you two been spending time together these past few days?" Liu Banxia quickly asked.

The young man hesitated slightly before nodding. "We’ve known each other since we were children. You could say we’re childhood sweethearts."

Liu Banxia waved his hand. "We’re not concerned about that. Did she show any signs of discomfort when you were together over the past few days?"

"Nothing seemed uncomfortable, but her appetite hasn’t been very good these past few days," the young man said. "She used to be like this sometimes, eating less to maintain her figure, and she wouldn’t let me eat much of certain things either."

"Sigh, that’s not what we’re concerned about either," Liu Banxia said, growing a bit anxious. "Has she complained about any other discomforts?"

It was clear that this young couple was deeply in love, and their relationship was approved by both sets of parents. But now was not the time to listen to their love story; they needed to find the cause of the illness.

"Yes," the young man nodded firmly.

Liu Banxia and Xu Hui’s spirits lifted; perhaps this information could unlock the mystery of the illness.

"She suffers from dysmenorrhea; she feels pain during her period. Her latest period just ended a few days ago. I stayed with her at her place for three days," the young man said.

Liu Banxia rubbed his face. He couldn’t really blame the young man. This was indeed a symptom, but it probably wasn’t related to the current illness. Dysmenorrhea is a very common condition that troubles many women. Some cases are caused by organic pathologies, while others are idiopathic. If her current symptoms were related to dysmenorrhea, she likely would have manifested them years ago. It could now be confirmed that the girl’s swollen foot might also have been related to her menstrual cycle. Sometimes parents don’t ask too much about these things; her boyfriend, in contrast, knew more.

"Think carefully. Has anything else been different from usual? Even the smallest discrepancy, like her dietary or lifestyle habits, could be a clue for us," Xu Hui said.

The young man furrowed his brow, then shook his head. "Nothing’s different. We spend almost every day together."

"Alright then," Liu Banxia said. "We need to go to the ward. You can come with us."

"Her face is severely swollen right now, so don’t be shocked when you see her. And keep thinking. If you remember anything at all, even something small, tell us. Many times, diagnosing an illness hinges on these tiny details. They can help us save a lot of time and avoid unnecessary tests."

The young man nodded, his expression growing more worried.

When they arrived at the ward, Xu Yino was also sitting there, keeping a close watch. She quickly stood up when she saw Liu Banxia.

Liu Banxia waved his hand.

"Doctor, what exactly is wrong with my daughter?" the patient’s father asked.

"We are currently working hard to figure it out. Given the current situation, we can’t draw any precise conclusions," Liu Banxia said. "We’ve conducted allergen screening and toxicology tests, all of which were negative. Her condition has worsened, and she now has laryngeal edema. We’ll observe her for another hour to an hour and a half. If her symptoms don’t improve, we’ll consider performing a lumbar puncture."

"Sir, my parents are also rushing over," the young man said to the patient’s father.

"Sigh... We still don’t know what’s wrong with Xiaoyu," the patient’s father lamented.

At that moment, the patient lying on the hospital bed weakly raised her arm, then clutched her abdomen and rubbed it.

Liu Banxia quickly rushed over and lifted the patient’s hospital gown. Her abdomen was now slightly distended.

The patient then picked up her phone and typed "Pain" on the screen.

Startled, Liu Banxia ordered, "Quickly, get an ultrasound!"

Without hesitation, Xu Yino ran out and, with the help of a nurse, brought in a portable ultrasound machine.

After applying the couplant, Liu Banxia scanned her abdomen meticulously.

Looking at the displayed image, Liu Banxia’s brow furrowed deeply. The patient’s condition had worsened; it had now affected her abdominal cavity. The ultrasound images showed gastrointestinal edema and a small amount of ascites. This was why the patient felt pain and her abdomen was slightly distended.

This indicated that whatever was causing her condition—be it an undetected allergy or poisoning—was still active and progressing. This was a dangerous sign. If it continued to worsen, it could affect other organs in her abdominal cavity. By then, it would truly be too late.

And right now, Liu Banxia and the others were at their wits’ end, with no further leads to investigate.