Chapter 287: Chapter 287

(Thanks to my friend aisu2295168 for the reward and encouragement!)

Liu Banxia’s decision to temporarily observe Han without any immediate treatment truly baffled Manager Qu and the others. The patient is already in this state, how can we do nothing? they wondered.

"Liu Yiqing, you’re in charge of this patient. Keep a constant eye on his vital signs. His blood oxygen hasn’t returned to normal yet, but it’s improving," Liu Banxia instructed after returning to the ward.

"Alright, I’ll stay in the ward," Liu Yiqing nodded firmly.

"Dr. Liu, do we really not need to administer any treatment? Just observe him ?" Manager Qu asked, still puzzled, after they stepped out of the ward.

"We’re not just observing him idly. You saw the X-ray we just took; the area of the embolism isn’t very large," Liu Banxia replied.

"As I mentioned, whether we opt for thrombectomy or thrombolysis, we need to use anticoagulant drugs. Once these drugs enter the bloodstream, they will spread to every blood vessel in the body."

"He has a cyst in his brain. This type of cyst, often a cystic hygroma, typically occurs near lymph nodes, but it’s not impossible for it to appear in the brain. There are generally two types: congenital, or a residual formation after post-traumatic cerebral edema has been absorbed."

"Considering Han’s condition, I believe the latter is more likely. This means the edema wasn’t completely absorbed; the swelling from that past injury hasn’t fully resolved."

"This can happen frequently when the head sustains a blow. It’s just hard to notice at the time; after all, no one feels comfortable after their head has been struck."

"We’ve arranged for a doctor to monitor him continuously. Once he’s past this critical period and his vital signs stabilize, we can implant a vena cava filter to prevent any further emboli from traveling to his lungs."

"Once Han recovers, we absolutely must treat you all to a meal. You saw what happened just now. If that had occurred while he was driving, what do you think the outcome would have been?"

Manager Qu nodded. A car accident would have been inevitable; whether it would have been fatal was another question. Seeing the agony on Han’s face, he clearly wouldn’t have been able to control the steering wheel or the accelerator.

Although Manager Qu didn’t fully grasp everything Liu Banxia explained, he understood enough to get the main points.

Wasn’t the patient they encountered at the CT room door suffering from cerebral edema or something similar, and didn’t he die? If Han were to experience a similar complication during surgery, it could be even more dangerous.

"Tell me, why is my brother so agreeable with you? Why does he still feel the need to ask for your opinion?" Liang Xiaolin pulled Liu Banxia aside when she saw no one else was around.

"You’re asking me? Who should I ask? You should ask him. I was quite surprised myself. He used to be very domineering and arrogant," Liu Banxia shrugged.

Liang Xiaolin rolled her eyes at him. "I messaged him, but he hasn’t replied yet. I was genuinely worried you two would start a fight at the CT room door earlier. You both would have faced disciplinary action."

"We’re not children. Do we start fighting the moment we see each other?" Liu Banxia said helplessly.

"Haven’t you done enough childish things?" Liang Xiaolin retorted, then moved aside.

She was really curious. She would definitely have to ask him later; otherwise, the unanswered question might keep her from sleeping.

"Has that patient from earlier been dealt with?" Wei Yuan walked over.

"Observation first, then we’ll decide on treatment. Has that other patient been taken to the morgue?" Liu Banxia asked.

"This family is incredibly unlucky. It seems it was an unlicensed window installation company. They came and paid five thousand yuan, but now the people from the company are nowhere to be found," Wei Yuan stated.

"We don’t know how long the body will be kept here; it can’t be released until the matter is settled. Although no further resuscitation was performed, the costs of the initial resuscitation efforts weren’t low."

"Sigh... there was no other choice. Given the situation at the time, we could only take him to the operating room and then perform a brain CT scan. I heard from the nurse that the people who came initially seemed to understand the situation, but it’s estimated they’ll still try to involve us," Liu Banxia commented.

There was no reasoning with this situation. The window manufacturer would undoubtedly try to shift blame to the hospital to lessen their own responsibility. However, in a clear-cut case , they didn’t need to worry too much; not all blame could be so easily deflected.

For the patient’s family, however, seeking redress would likely be very difficult, and the compensation they might receive from the other party wouldn’t be much.

"Dr. Liu, could you come over for a moment? There’s a patient who needs a consultation," Xu Hui said, stepping out of the internal medicine consultation room.

"What’s the situation?" Liu Banxia asked.

"The patient presented with abdominal pain around the navel and mild chest pain. Auscultation revealed an irregular heart rate. The abdomen was soft with no palpable abnormalities, and bowel sounds were slightly hyperactive," Xu Hui explained.

"We performed an ECG, a complete blood count, blood biochemistry, and myoprotein tests. The results showed low serum albumin, and elevated levels of creatine and blood lactate."

"I was planning to have the patient get an abdominal X-ray, but now he says he’s not feeling any pain and doesn’t want to do it. I tried to persuade him for a long time, but he wouldn’t agree."

"Let me take a look first. Is there anything abnormal on the electrocardiogram?" Liu Banxia asked.

"The ECG is normal, but I think it might have been done a bit too late to capture anything. After all, he did have an arrhythmia, and his creatine and blood lactate levels are slightly elevated. I still feel there might be something wrong with his heart," Xu Hui said.

"Moreover, the patient was admitted for abdominal pain. I need to determine whether the arrhythmia and angina-like symptoms are caused by the abdominal pain, or if the abdominal pain is a symptom of angina."

Liu Banxia nodded; he understood the situation.

He glanced at the patient’s age: 47. Given current health trends, a myocardial infarction was certainly a possibility at this age.

"When you came in for the consultation, chest pain was definitely one of your symptoms. We conduct thorough examinations for every patient who presents with chest pain," Liu Banxia said to the patient.

"But the ECG was normal, wasn’t it? And you drew so much blood, tested this and that, and the results were only slightly off. Now my chest isn’t sore anymore, and my stomach doesn’t hurt either. There must be nothing wrong with me," the patient replied.

"With heart conditions, it’s often difficult to detect underlying issues when symptoms aren’t active," Liu Banxia explained.

"If you’re really against further examination, we can at least do an abdominal X-ray. After all, you were admitted for abdominal pain; you can’t just leave without a clearer picture."

"We’re doing this because we don’t want to misdiagnose you or delay your treatment. Since you’re already here, you should leave with some peace of mind, right? Otherwise, all this trouble will have been for nothing."

"That doctor just now said that if I don’t want the examination, I just need to sign a form. He didn’t say I had to consult with you again," the patient stated.

"That’s true, but who loses out in the end? Wouldn’t it be you?" Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"If you don’t have any other issues, then perhaps the money for this extra test might seem wasted. But if you *do* have an underlying problem and we don’t find it, then all the effort and initial expense will have been for nothing, and your health could suffer. From our perspective, any chest pain, however minor, could be related to the heart."

"Like I said, do it for peace of mind. You’re probably worried we’re trying to generate revenue for the hospital, but we haven’t suggested a color ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI. We’ve only recommended a standard blood test and an X-ray. What revenue can that possibly generate?"

"In any case, please consider it. My personal opinion is to get the X-ray first to determine if the problem is abdominal or thoracic, and then you can decide what to do next."

"Well, what if the X-ray shows nothing? Will you then insist on more tests?" the patient asked.

"In that case, further tests might still be necessary. However, I would suggest an observation period of half an hour to an hour to see if any new symptoms develop. If not, and you still wish to leave, we won’t stop you. You’d just need to sign the necessary papers, and you’d be free to go," Liu Banxia said.

"Actually, the sun is scorching outside right now; there isn’t much to do out there anyway. It’s better to rest here for a while. You could even have lunch at our hospital cafeteria. Among all the hospitals in Binhai City, our hospital cafeteria’s food might not be the absolute best, but it’s definitely not worse than what you’d get at many restaurants."

"You’ve said it all; I don’t know what else to say. Alright, let’s do the X-ray then. I really don’t feel any discomfort now," the patient said, finally relenting.

"Just treat it as a check-up. My parents are planning to come for a full-body checkup tomorrow. Nowadays, our quality of life has improved, and our diets have become more complex, and that’s actually made our bodies more vulnerable," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"I suppose that’s true. But why don’t you try to persuade people by emphasizing their illness?" the patient asked curiously.

"Well, that depends on the person. Some patients are primarily worried about the cost. You don’t seem to be one of them; you just find it troublesome. So, we’re a bit like salespeople, except what we’re ’selling’ is crucial for the patient’s health," Liu Banxia said.

"Alright, alright, stop trying to sweet-talk me. If you keep this up, I might end up agreeing to a full-body exam. Just write up the order for me quickly. After the X-ray, if there’s nothing wrong, I’ll go try your cafeteria. It’ll save me the trouble of cooking when I get home," the patient said.

"Please go ahead. Just take your registration slip to the cashier to pay," Xu Hui said quickly.

The patient nodded, took the slip, and went to pay, his steps light.

"President Liu, I really have to call you President Liu. I’m truly impressed, thoroughly impressed," Xu Hui said, giving Liu Banxia a thumbs-up.

"Sigh... you have to coax patients these days. A little flattery, sweet-talking them... just scaring them doesn’t always work," Liu Banxia said with a bitter smile. "Even someone with your experience couldn’t persuade him. You must have already explained all the relevant details, so I had to try a different approach. Sometimes, it’s truly exhausting."

"Haha, let’s see what the X-ray shows. Anyway, if there are no problems, I’ll still need your help. Once a patient trusts you, everything becomes easier," Xu Hui said.

Liu Banxia nodded. "No problem. If you have time, please keep an eye on the pulmonary embolism patient upstairs. Once his condition stabilizes, we’ll need to discuss the surgical plan." Fınd the newest release on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁

"Sure thing," Xu Hui readily agreed.

It really could feel helpless when faced with a patient refusing necessary examinations. Fortunately, Liu Banxia had managed to coax the patient into agreeing; otherwise, it would indeed have been a difficult situation to handle.