The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 554 Is it really a hospital-acquired infection?
Nosocomial infections are not to be underestimated. Once an outbreak occurs, it increases the patients’ additional mortality rate. This time, the potential danger was particularly concerning as it involved a respiratory system infection, which could very well be transmitted through droplets.
Liu Banxia felt a sense of urgency. However, now that Zhou Shuwen had assigned him this task, he had to shoulder the responsibility.
"Banxia, what should we do?"
As soon as Liu Banxia stepped out of the office, Shi Lei and the others hurried back.
"The main thing is to ensure proper protective measures. I’ve already asked Sister Li to disinfect the public areas," Liu Banxia said.
"Also, notify the CT department that the CT machine needs to be disinfected after each patient. We must ensure personal protection, and when new patients arrive for consultation, we need to protect them as well."
"We need to pay special attention to pediatric and elderly patients, as their immunity is inherently weaker. Also, patients who have undergone major surgery, especially that hemophilia patient."
"I’ll go find the patient’s parents first to see if they or the children exhibited any other symptoms at home before admission. Everyone needs to work hard. Even if it is a nosocomial infection, we must nip it in the bud."
DING! Mission issued: Could it be a nosocomial infection?
Open-ended mission: Two patients developed the same pulmonary infection post-surgery. A nosocomial infection is suspected, requiring the host to investigate. Rewards will be issued based on the diagnostic results.
Shi Lei and the others nodded, equally aware of the issue’s gravity.
Hospitals are inherently places where various pathogens congregate. Even with regular disinfection, it’s impossible to eliminate all of them. Unless you dedicated most of your time to performing meticulous, wall-to-wall disinfection daily, you wouldn’t get anything else done.
Because hospitals are places with a high concentration of patients, most people coming to the hospital are ill, and their natural immunity is somewhat compromised.
What needed to be determined now was whether this infection was endogenous or exogenous. If it were endogenous, the level of danger would be even higher.
"Doctor, what on earth is happening?" the patient’s father asked worriedly as soon as he saw Liu Banxia.
"Please don’t worry for now. There are some questions I need to ask you," Liu Banxia said.
"Before admission, did your daughter or grandson mention feeling unwell anywhere? Our current assessment is that they might have been infected with the same pathogen."
"There were no other symptoms, nothing at all. If it weren’t for today’s car accident, how could this... how could this happen... My poor child..." the patient’s mother said, bursting into tears.
"We have already mobilized all the resources of the emergency center to search for the pathogen. Please try to recall carefully. Were there any symptoms like coughing or fever?" Liu Banxia pressed.
"Or perhaps sneezing, difficulty breathing, a slight fever, habitual thirst, and so on. You can tell me about any conditions you think are unusual."
The patient’s father shook his head. "None of those. Doctor, why are you keeping us here? We need to go look after Ruirui."
"I’m very sorry, but this is also a protective measure we can take at the moment," Liu Banxia said after a moment’s thought.
"Your daughter and grandson haven’t had any direct contact since admission. The only link we can find is that both of you have been present in their respective rooms."
"However, this is currently just a presumption on our part. We have already performed an expedited examination. But you also need to be mentally prepared. Your grandson’s lung infection is quite severe; it has already suppurated."
"So, after the surgery, we will give him the best possible care. He will be sent to the ICU first, where his vital signs can be monitored at all times."
"I’m saying, if—and this is just one possibility—the child’s illness progresses faster than we can culture the bacteria, he might need an ECMO machine to support his breathing."
"Doctor, does that mean he’s... not going to make it?" the patient’s mother asked anxiously, wiping away her tears.
"This is just a possibility, and under the current circumstances, I need to inform you beforehand. The use of an ECMO machine will involve certain costs, but again, this is merely a possibility," Liu Banxia said quickly.
"Our lab is already expediting the tests. We also have a nurse here with you. If there’s anything you want to know or understand, just tell the nurse, and she’ll contact me."
"Your daughter’s CT results should be out soon, and I need to go check them. I can’t offer you any definitive assurances at this moment. The only thing I can assure you is that all our medical staff are focusing all their energy on your daughter and grandson."
Liu Banxia didn’t really want to say this. Its only role was to comfort the patient’s family. The most important thing now was to identify the bacteria.
Tracing the source of the infection has proven difficult so far. It’s impossible to accurately determine if it originated inside or outside the hospital. Although it’s more likely to have originated in the hospital, there’s also a chance they were already carrying it from their daily lives at home.
After leaving them, he hurriedly ran to the CT room.
"Director, how’s the situation?" Liu Banxia asked quickly upon seeing Zhou Shuwen was also there.
"The situation isn’t very good. There’s already inflammation and mild effusion in the lungs. It can essentially be diagnosed as early-stage sepsis. We don’t need to worry too much about this patient for now," Zhou Shuwen said.
"The critical issue is the young patient; he might not afford us enough time. Have you thoroughly questioned the family members?"
Liu Banxia shook his head. "According to the parents, everything was normal at home, so we still can’t make a definitive judgment. I’ve already informed the parents that if he’s sent to the ICU, he might require an ECMO machine."
"Don’t send him to the ICU. Find an isolation room," Zhou Shuwen said.
"Currently, we can’t accurately determine the source of infection or its contagiousness, so we must be cautious. You keep an eye on things here; I’ll go check on the operating room."
Liu Banxia nodded.
"President Liu, can we determine if it’s contagious? After this patient had her CT scan, two other patients also used the machine. I’ve already told Dr. Shi," Wu Bo said.
"Let’s prepare for the worst-case scenario; that way, we can have a better response," Liu Banxia said with a bitter smile.
"After it’s done, disinfect the machine thoroughly. The mother and child reportedly had no symptoms at home, so it’s really difficult to determine anything right now. If it were just one of them, it would be somewhat easier to manage. But there are two, and their symptoms appeared around the same time."
"Cough, high fever, pneumonia... based on these, can we presume it’s somewhat contagious? We just don’t know the transmission route yet, so we need to be thoroughly prepared."
"Sigh... the New Year has just passed, and we’re already facing this kind of situation," Wu Bo lamented.
"Send them back to the ward first for broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment and electrolyte adjustment?" Zhang Xiao asked.
"That’s all we can do for now. Once she’s back in the ward, I’ll talk to her again and see if she can recall anything else," Liu Banxia said.
"So far, we haven’t received reports of other patients with similar conditions. I’m more inclined to believe they might have already been carrying the bacteria, and their weakened immunity post-surgery gave it a chance to erupt."
"President Liu, have you figured it out?" Xu Hui walked in from outside at that moment.
"Brother Hui, you were called over too? We still don’t have any definitive information," Liu Banxia said.
"I was just upstairs helping to check on the other patients. So far, none of them are showing any symptoms," Xu Hui reported.
"That’s somewhat reassuring. I’m just worried about it escalating into a large-scale nosocomial infection," Liu Banxia said.
"Alright, the CT scan is finished. You all be careful," Wu Bo said.
Liu Banxia nodded and, together with Xu Hui and Zhang Xiao, wheeled the patient back to her room.
"Ma’am, I know your energy levels are still quite low. Can you try to recall if you had any unusual symptoms at home?" Liu Banxia asked.
The patient weakly shook her head. "Ruirui? How is Ruirui? And my parents?"
"We haven’t identified the source of the infection yet, so your parents have been isolated for their protection. Ruirui is currently in surgery; he has some inflammation in his chest," Liu Banxia explained.
"Judging by the symptoms, it seems you and Ruirui were infected by the same bacteria. Please think carefully. Did you have any symptoms like a sore throat or a cough?"
The patient shook her head. "COUGH, COUGH, COUGH... No, nothing like that at all. Doctor, you must save Ruirui. We have money; you have to save him."
"Please rest assured. Our director has also gone into the operating room. We will definitely do our utmost," Liu Banxia said.
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH... COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."
He had just finished speaking when the patient began to cough violently, waving her hands frantically. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Liu Banxia quickly brought the nearby trash can over for the patient to spit into.
"No phlegm this time. It’s just labored breathing," the patient said after the coughing fit.
"What terrible thing did I do for Ruirui to suffer like this? It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t taken Ruirui out, if I hadn’t let him eat in the car, then none of this would have happened."
"Ma’am, right now, even our off-duty doctors have come in. We are doing our utmost to determine the cause of your illness," Liu Banxia said.
Even though he knew his reassurances were of little use to this patient, he still had to offer them.
She had just undergone a thrombectomy for a cerebral embolism. Such emotional distress was definitely not good for her recovery. Not to mention, her lungs were now also inflamed. If it were to worsen, her condition could deteriorate rapidly and potentially affect her brain again.
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."
Just as the patient was about to speak, another series of coughs erupted. Liu Banxia hurriedly lifted the trash can for her again.
This time, the patient coughed up blood. Although the amount wasn’t large, it proved the broad-spectrum antibiotics administered hadn’t worked.
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."
The patient coughed again, spitting out some phlegm.
"I feel a bit better now. That phlegm was really stuck and uncomfortable. Doctor, you must save Ruirui. You have to save him. I can’t live without Ruirui," she pleaded.
However, Liu Banxia seemed oblivious, as if he hadn’t heard her at all, his gaze fixed on the contents of the trash can.
