The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 731: How hungry can you be to still think about eating even if you’re at ?

"Teacher Liu, what's wrong?" Liu Yiqing asked curiously, noticing Liu Banxia hadn't issued any medical orders.

Liu Banxia scratched his head. "Wait a moment. All of you, just wait a bit. I need to sort things out in my head."

Liu Yiqing's eyes gleamed. Given the current pace of things, could it be that Teacher Liu has made a new discovery? And this discovery must have just been made. So, what could this new discovery be?

With that thought, Liu Yiqing also began to scrutinize the situation.

But whether it's the patient lying on the bed or his slightly surprised wife, they both seem the same as when I arrived. There are no abnormalities, nor are there any noticeable symptoms.

"Let me ask, how's his usual appetite?" Liu Banxia asked after some deliberation.

"His appetite has always been great, especially this year. He's consistently had an excellent appetite," the patient's wife said.

Liu Banxia's eyebrows furrowed again. "Are you certain that he rarely eats raw leafy greens, or meats that are not fully cooked?"

The patient's wife nodded.

This was the second time Liu Banxia had asked this question.

"Something's not right," Liu Banxia muttered.

"Teacher Liu, are you suspecting a parasitic infection?" Liu Yiqing asked.

Liu Banxia nodded. "And I suspect it might be pork tapeworm. Based on what you've said, with such a good appetite, and at his age, shouldn't he be more overweight?"

"Another thing is, when Liu Yiqing was eating earlier, although the food did smell fragrant, given the patient's current condition, he shouldn't have the mind to care about such things, right?"

"I didn't pay attention at first, thinking he was just trying to reassure you, not wanting you to worry. But just now, his stomach was audibly growling from hunger."

"Normally, even if we skip lunch, or if it's just past lunchtime, we wouldn't get hungry this quickly, would we? And in his current state, how could he be so unconcerned as to still be thinking about food?"

"Think carefully again, hmm... over the last six months, did he eat any undercooked pork or anything similar? If there's a history of something like that, we can proceed with a detailed examination."

After some thought, the patient's wife still shook her head.

At this point, the patient picked up the notebook from the bed, wrote a line, and handed it to his wife.

"Ah, I remember now! We had hot pot once. During the New Year, my younger brother brought some wild boar meat. But we cooked it thoroughly, didn't we?" the patient's wife suddenly recalled.

"And if it were pork with tapeworms, what they call 'measly pork,' wouldn't you be able to see it directly? We didn't see any 'beans' in that wild boar meat."

"It's hard to say in this situation. Sometimes the larvae can be very small and go unnoticed when the meat is being cut. The key is the duration of the infection," Liu Banxia said after a moment's thought.

"Pigs we normally raise might be infected for a long time, so they show obvious signs when butchered. For the patient, the most convenient thing is a stool test. What do you say? Can you try to provide a sample?"

The patient considered for a moment, then waved his hand.

For him, in his current state, it was truly a bit difficult.

"Dr. Liu, if it's pork tapeworm, wouldn't it be in the intestines? Could it be some other illness?" the patient's wife asked again.

"This is how it works: the tapeworm eggs hatch into adults in the intestines and then reproduce. Some of these eggs penetrate the intestinal wall, enter the bloodstream, travel to the brain, and settle there," Liu Banxia explained.

"Medically, this is called neurocysticercosis. It's very difficult to detect with a CT scan in the early stages. They can only be seen on a scan after they die and calcify."

"However, we can't give a definitive diagnosis yet. My suggestion is to wait a bit longer. A stool test is the most convenient option. Otherwise, we'd have to do a colonoscopy, which requires bowel preparation, enemas, and the like. It's quite an ordeal."

"What about eating?" the patient's wife asked anxiously.

"He can't really eat in his current condition. Don't worry for now. I think my suspicion is very likely correct. Just hang in there. If he still doesn't feel the urge to defecate after another hour, we'll consider other methods," Liu Banxia replied.

The patient's wife nodded. She was now also leaning towards the pork tapeworm diagnosis.

At this moment, the patient reached out, patted her arm, and then pointed to her stomach.

"Oh dear, then I ate it too! Do I also need to get checked?" the patient's wife asked.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Not just you. If either you or your husband is diagnosed, everyone who ate together that day will need to be checked."

"With hot pot, especially when a large group eats together, some meat might not be cooked thoroughly and could be eaten prematurely. So, that's certainly a possibility."

"Hang in there," Liu Banxia said to the patient. "Try to focus on having a bowel movement. But if you have another seizure, we'll have to find another way. Otherwise, it won't be good for your health."

This was the diagnosis Liu Banxia could offer for now. Having made a deduction, it was crucial to conduct appropriate tests.

A stool test was the quickest and most convenient method for diagnosing pork tapeworm. The patient had already suffered a lot today, so it was better to make things easier for him.

Actually, even without the stool test yet, I'm quite certain, Liu Banxia thought. I definitely made a misjudgment at first by not considering this. I was misled by the patient's symptoms.

"Well then... I'll go get one done. Doctor, could you please look after Old Zhang? Do I need to register as well?" the patient's wife asked.

Liu Banxia nodded with a smile. "If your test comes back positive, that's fine. We can then directly prescribe medication for your husband."

"Teacher Liu, but why does the patient have symptoms of airway obstruction?" Liu Yiqing asked after the patient's wife had left.

"Could it be that the cysticerci are pressing on the corresponding nerve centers? Isn't that too much of a coincidence? And the patient's intracranial pressure hasn't risen either."

"The symptoms of neurocysticercosis can actually vary greatly," Liu Banxia said.

"If our hypothesis is correct, his airway obstruction might be an allergic reaction caused by a ruptured cysticercus. If that's the case, all his symptoms can be explained."

"Take this patient, for instance. He was symptom-free for such a long time and then suddenly had an episode today. Some cysticerci can even remain dormant for about a year; it's unpredictable."

"It's my fault too," Liu Banxia continued. "I've dealt with several parasitic disease cases before, but I was still momentarily misled by the symptoms this time. The initial indications were so clear that I immediately thought of a brain tumor, encephalitis, or meningitis." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Alright, you stay here and keep an eye on him. If my guess is right, he shouldn't experience any more airway obstruction."

"Teacher Liu," Liu Yiqing asked somewhat nervously, "when I was intubating, if I had considered an allergic reaction and given anti-allergy medication, could we have avoided the cricothyroidotomy?"

"What are you talking about?" Liu Banxia said with a laugh. "That's the treatment for anaphylactic shock and laryngeal edema. What have you learned from me? With complete airway obstruction, do you think you would have had time for such an attempt?"

"Don't worry. Once the diagnosis is confirmed and he's medicated, if there are no further issues, we can extubate him directly. Hang in there," Liu Banxia then said to the patient, "your wife is already working hard on it."

That last remark was directed at the patient, causing a conflicted expression to appear on his face.

However, his mood had improved considerably. Pork tapeworm is terrifying, but at least it's treatable. What would I do if my brain were really damaged?

Facing an unknown illness, he had been the most terrified, clinging to the hope of his remaining life.

Liu Banxia, feeling a bit more cheerful, strolled back to the waiting area.

"President Liu, the plastic surgery department's office is all cleaned up," Wang Chao called out.

"Thanks a lot. Otherwise, I would have asked you to handle it," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"I knew it would fall to me in the end. What else could I do but take the initiative?" Wang Chao said helplessly.

"That's the spirit!" Liu Banxia said, laughing. "You have to be proactive. Otherwise, how can we do our jobs well?"

"In the future, our surgery department will be awesome. We'll be able to handle any illness and any patient, and it will even generate more income for us. Wonderful, isn't it?"

"Wonderful, indeed," Wang Chao shook his head. "But I have to say, your vision is something I can't fathom; it's just too grand."

This wasn't the first time Liu Banxia had said such things, and his attitude remained the same. He wasn't being sarcastic or speaking in anger; these were his heartfelt words.

Actually, I'm very curious, Wang Chao thought. Has Liu Banxia reached a state of having no worldly desires? In terms of wealth, with Qiaoqiao backing him, what does he have to fear? As for connections, he truly knows many influential people. And status? In the emergency center, regardless of whether he becomes a deputy director in the future, it's as he says—the work he does is the same; it's merely a difference in title. Even if he doesn't get promoted to deputy director, who in the emergency center would dare look down on him? It wouldn't be due to any failing on his part. Take the recommendations for the two chief resident positions, for example. Even if there were no other suitable candidates in the emergency center, it would still need to go through the standard procedures. Yet, Zhou Shuwen just listened to his report, and the decision was made. Most importantly, Liu Banxia is very young. That itself is a huge asset.

With his abilities, he's sure to be promoted to the corresponding professional titles as soon as he meets the criteria. As for his future positions within the hospital, that will likely depend on his own inclinations, Wang Chao continued to muse.

"What's up?" Liu Banxia asked curiously, seeing Wang Chao remain silent.

"Nothing. I'm going to get back to work."

Wang Chao clasped his hands behind his back and sauntered off.

Liu Banxia shook his head, not realizing Wang Chao had just been re-evaluating him. I thought he was just being neurotic because of his 'little friendship' with Ma Limin, Liu Banxia mused.