Chapter 295: Chapter 295

Liu Banxia, who had come to the cafeteria, was also grinning broadly. His interns hadn’t finished their meals when he announced the good news to them.

He really hadn’t expected it to be this early, assuming it would be delayed until mid to late September. For the people in the emergency department, this was like a shot in the arm, a very powerful one.

"Finally, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. After we move, things should be a bit easier, and I can go back to a regular schedule," Zhou Li said, stretching her back lazily after hearing the news.

"Always working single shifts is indeed hard, but aren’t you worried that the nurses from other departments coming over will threaten your position?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.

"What’s there to worry about? I’ve already decided to shift my focus more towards my family. Let Old Wang take the lead; otherwise, our household will be ruined," Zhou Li said nonchalantly. "But you’re really good to Shi Lei. You called me, and I helped him brainstorm a bit. There’s still a shortfall of 200,000 for the down payment. Should we chip in?"

"Sister Li, do you have spare cash?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.

"Of course," Zhou Li said. "We’ve already decided to take out a loan, so shouldn’t we keep some emergency money aside? How much can you contribute? I’ll cover the rest. Shi Lei will be able to pay it back anyway; it’s not like the money will be gone for good."

"I’ll contribute 80,000," Liu Banxia said decisively.

"Wow, you’ve really made me see you in a new light! You’ve earned so much in these two months?" Zhou Li was even more surprised than him.

"Of course, I don’t have that much myself. I’ll borrow some from friends. If Chief Director Xu can arrange a few more surgeries for me, I should have enough," Liu Banxia said with a wry smile.

Zhou Li nodded. "Alright, that’s your decision. Based on the current situation, if there are some discounts later, the shortfall won’t be that significant."

She wouldn’t insist on this; it was a matter of the bond between Liu Banxia and Shi Lei. And for the current Liu Banxia, tens of thousands of yuan really wasn’t a big deal.

There were no patients at the moment. Everyone in the emergency department was discussing the upcoming relocation. Liu Banxia didn’t interfere; after all, this was truly good news.

Once they actually moved, the emergency department would truly be independent of other departments, becoming an emergency center with separate financial accounting. This would also be reflected in the salaries of the medical staff. Whether it would be profitable or incur heavy losses in the future would depend on the emergency center’s operational performance. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍

The reputation of a hospital couldn’t be established in a day or two. Although the Second Hospital was somewhat famous in Binhai City, the emergency center’s operations were a special category. The 120 Emergency Call Center wouldn’t suddenly allocate too many patients at once; they still needed to evaluate receiving capacity and medical standards.

"Is this how you all work? I clearly know I have diverticulitis. I’ve been diagnosed in your hospital before, so why do I need another checkup?"

Shouts erupted from the internal medicine consultation room, startling Liu Banxia, who quickly ran over.

"The diagnosis is indeed in your medical records, but that’s an old diagnosis. It has been a month since then. If you want medication, we must perform an examination," Wang Huan’s voice was heard.

"Doctor Wang, what’s happening?" Liu Banxia quickly entered.

"Diverticulitis. He doesn’t want any examinations, just a prescription for metronidazole," Wang Huan said helplessly.

"Hello, you can tell me if you have any concerns," Liu Banxia said, nodding at Wang Huan, and then looked at the patient.

This was a very difficult type of patient. It wasn’t that bringing medical records was bad; in fact, that was the best approach. However, insisting on treatment based solely on a past diagnosis in the records was not acceptable. Past medical history can only serve as a reference for the doctor’s diagnosis; it cannot be the definitive basis for the current consultation. No matter the illness, even for recurrent conditions, if you come for a consultation after some time has passed, a new examination is necessary. But some patients didn’t understand, treating doctors merely as tools to prescribe medication.

Actually, antibiotics like metronidazole weren’t very strictly regulated in some pharmacies. But in a hospital, every doctor had to be responsible for their prescriptions; once issued, it was their responsibility.

"Are you in charge? I haven’t seen you before. Where’s Director Qin? Can you call him? Or should I?" the patient asked, looking at Liu Banxia.

"You may not be aware, but Director Qin has already retired. However, if you insist on calling, you may," Liu Banxia said in a calm tone.

No wonder this patient is so assertive. It seems he has some connection with Old Qin.

The patient glanced at him, took out his phone, and presumably called Qin Hai.

"Brother Wang, don’t take it to heart," Liu Banxia said.

"Haha, what kind of situations haven’t I experienced? Something won’t bother me," Wang Huan said with a laugh. "I just don’t understand why Qin Hai didn’t recommend surgery for him. Three flare-ups in six months—that kind of diverticulitis can’t be controlled by medication alone. You can’t save money like that."

Liu Banxia nodded, agreeing with Wang Huan’s words.

He had diagnosed diverticulitis patients before, Shen Feifei being one of them. She also had recurrent episodes and eventually had it surgically removed; now she’s very healthy. Similarly, chronic appendicitis, after repeated flare-ups, can lead to suppuration, perforation, and necrosis, threatening the patient’s life. Diverticulitis is the same. Three episodes in six months is quite frequent.

"Why is seeing a doctor so complicated now? Do I have to get blood tests, X-rays, and a colonoscopy?" At this point, the patient hung up the phone.

"If you don’t have other symptoms and your current ones match your medical records, then yes, we do need to perform these tests," Liu Banxia said. "A colonoscopy can clearly show the condition of the diverticula, and an X-ray can reveal if there are adhesions or fistulas with other organs. Actually, my personal recommendation, since you’re frequently troubled by diverticulitis, would be to opt for surgery."

"The section of intestine removed wouldn’t be very long, and it wouldn’t affect your life after recovery. Fistulas from diverticulitis often connect to the bladder. The diagnostic criteria are pneumaturia and fecaluria."

"Heh, don’t try to scare me. I don’t have blood in my stool right now, so why would I need surgery? Director Qin also said metronidazole would work," the patient said with a smirk. "I’ve known Old Qin for several years. Even though I’m not a doctor, I know a thing or two. Surgery isn’t always the best choice for every illness. If medication works, don’t get injections. If injections work, don’t get IV drips. And surgery is an even bigger step."

"Actually, I’m almost better this time. It doesn’t hurt much anymore," the patient continued. "I just ran out of metronidazole at home and wanted to get some more to be sure. The drugs from outside pharmacies can be of dubious origin. Even though I need to register at your hospital, at least I can be more assured about the medication here."

Liu Banxia felt rather helpless. Was this patient well-informed? Not entirely. Was he completely ignorant? No, he knew a few things. Patients who are half-informed are the most difficult to manage. They cling to their own understanding, regardless of what the doctor says.

When the nurse came to draw the patient’s blood and the patient rolled up his sleeve, Liu Banxia called out.

"How long have you had these maculopapular rashes on your arm?" Liu Banxia asked.

"They appeared after I started taking metronidazole. It’s no big deal. Just a side effect of metronidazole—hives. They go away when I stop the medication," the patient said nonchalantly.

Liu Banxia frowned. "What do these rashes feel like?"

"Not much. They were a bit itchy when they first appeared, but if I don’t scratch them and keep them dry, it’s fine. At most, they feel a little warm, which is much more comfortable than the pain of diverticulitis," the patient said.

However, Liu Banxia’s mind was not at ease. This was definitely not hives. Hives are edematous welts, and the itch isn’t something you can control just by not scratching. This was likely an adverse drug reaction caused by metronidazole, not a normal phenomenon at all.

At this moment, Wang Huan also carefully examined the patient’s maculopapular rash and then picked up the medical records again for a closer look.

"The interval between your first two episodes wasn’t very long. Why did this recurrence happen after nearly three months? You didn’t self-medicate at home after a relapse, did you? Have you taken any other drugs?" Wang Huan asked after reviewing the records.

This time, the patient didn’t hide anything and nodded frankly. "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have needed to come this time; I just ran out of metronidazole at home. And it’s only these last two times that the rash appeared; last time, it disappeared after I stopped the medication."

Liu Banxia and Wang Huan exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding dawning on both of them.

"Do you have these rashes anywhere else on your body?" Liu Banxia asked after a slight hesitation.

"Other places? There are a few on my chest and thighs. But why does that matter? Aren’t you supposed to be doing X-rays and a colonoscopy? Why are you asking about this?" the patient asked, frowning.

"Let us take a look first. This isn’t hives," Liu Banxia said.

The patient looked at him in surprise but still unbuttoned his shirt and lifted his undershirt.

Upon seeing his chest, both Liu Banxia’s and Wang Huan’s hearts lurched.

"Huh? Why are there blisters this time? I didn’t get it wet or scratch it," the patient couldn’t help exclaiming as he looked at his own chest.

Liu Banxia put on his gloves, picked up an iodine-soaked cotton ball with forceps, and gently wiped the edge of a blister on the patient’s chest.

As the cotton ball wiped past, a piece of skin from the edge of the blister came right off.

"Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis."

"Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis?"

Liu Banxia and Wang Huan exclaimed in unison, though their tones were slightly different—one affirmative, the other questioning.

The patient was stunned. It seemed something terrible had happened. And judging by the tense expressions on Liu Banxia’s and Wang Huan’s faces, it definitely wasn’t good news.