CHAPTER 139: 139 GOOD SEEDLINGS

"You should get checked anyway. We’re not trying to deceive you," Liang Xiaolin couldn’t help but speak up after seeing the patient hesitate.

"Doctor, if I have a cold, can’t I just go home and buy some medicine? Do I really need a blood test? Don’t I just end up taking cold medication after the test anyway?" asked the patient.

Liang Xiaolin hadn’t anticipated such a response and was momentarily stumped. She nudged Liu Banxia.

"A simple cold is just our preliminary suspicion; there might be other potential conditions," Liu Banxia stated.

"Just now, about ten minutes ago, a patient was diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding. His symptoms included abdominal pain, diarrhea, and chest pain. During his first visit, he only had a regular examination and refused any instrumental examinations."

"When he came back this afternoon, it was only after we strongly urged him that he agreed to a stool test. His hemoccult test showed four pluses, which is a very high indicator. Our doubts mean we can’t make an accurate judgment based on current symptoms. That’s why we recommend further testing."

"Doctor, last time you scared me with the shrimp story, and now you’re scaring me with bloody stool," the patient said, his expression somewhat resentful.

Liu Banxia, however, nodded seriously. "Even if it scares you, these are real cases. The indicators for many medical conditions aren’t obvious. All we can do during a consultation is to rule out related conditions as much as possible and avoid unnecessary tests."

"Your lymph nodes are swollen now. What are lymph nodes? They’re like the body’s waste transport centers. Swollen lymph nodes mean there’s a problem with this waste transport."

"Trust me, I’ll write the order right now and arrange for a blood draw. It’ll give us both peace of mind. If you don’t get a blood draw and don’t get checked out, I’d keep worrying about it. Normally, you should also get a chest X-ray, but I’ll save you that for now."

"Sigh... alright then. You’ve said so much, I don’t know what else to say," the patient nodded.

"Don’t mind me; I was just joking earlier. I’m like that; I like to joke around. It’s just that my Tiggie hasn’t liked my jokes recently. He bit me a bit hard this time."

Liu Banxia laughed. "I told you the last time you were here, dogs can get quite moody in the summer heat. Let’s start debriding now. It probably didn’t bite you too hard; the wound isn’t deep. We’ll leave it open for now."

If only all future patients could be this understanding, so many conflicts could be avoided,

he thought. Grateful for this patient’s understanding, he was extra careful while debriding the wound.

Just as he was debriding, Wang Huan walked in. "President Liu," Wang Huan said, "the patient who just had the gastroscopy has confirmed bleeding from an ulcer on the lesser curvature of the stomach. It’s already quite serious. If we delay any longer, it might perforate."

"Thank heavens," Liu Banxia remarked. "Otherwise, it could have been dangerous, like that fellow the other day who got angry and ended up with a gastric perforation and peritonitis."

"He probably has a lot of social engagements and didn’t even tell us about something as important as a gastric ulcer. If he had told us earlier, a single gastroscopy would have settled it."

"Doctor, can getting really angry actually cause a stomach perforation?" the patient whose wound was being treated asked curiously.

"Absolutely. ’Extreme anger harms the body’ is no joke. You’re fortunate, always cheerful and stress-free. Alright, cleaning is done. Let’s do a blood test," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

The patient nodded. "We must. Others might not trust you, but I do."

"What’s the situation?" Wang Huan asked curiously after the patient left.

Liu Banxia slapped his forehead. "How did I forget to ask for your consult just now? It’s a dog bite. The wound from a few days ago hasn’t healed yet. He has a fever and cough, and a physical exam revealed swollen lymph nodes in his neck. I arranged a blood test just to be safe."

Wang Huan nodded. "I would have done the same, maybe added a blood chemistry panel. Your foundational knowledge isn’t lacking at all; you just need more experience. Otherwise, you could handle the internal medicine workload too."

"Don’t praise me, or I’ll get arrogant," Liu Banxia said with a grin.

"Alright, I see a lot of people coming over. They should be this year’s new residents from the medical school. You’re President Liu of the Emergency Department, after all; you should go out and greet them," Wang Huan said.

"Well, well, any promising ones?" Liu Banxia winked.

"Doctor Wang, do you also teach at the medical school? How come I’ve never seen you there?" Liang Xiaolin asked curiously.

"Me? I’m hardly qualified. I’m just an ordinary doctor. Why do you ask?" Wang Huan replied, chuckling.

"Didn’t he just ask if there were any promising ones? How would he know if he doesn’t teach?" Liang Xiaolin said.

"Haha, well, he’s President Liu now. It’s quite normal for him to be interested," Wang Huan said and quickly made his exit.

Liang Xiaolin frowned, feeling like she was missing something. Then she looked towards Liu Banxia, only to see that he too had made a swift departure.

The "promising ones" they referred to were, of course, not just any ordinary prospects. It wasn’t really about making a move, but simply about adding a splash of color to their tense work environment.

The moment Liu Banxia stepped out, his eyes brightened. Among the arrivals was a pretty foreign girl who looked strikingly similar to the Russian female boss from ’Real Steel’.

She must be an exchange student, he mused. He’d only heard about them before; this was his first time actually seeing one. And she was definitely a ’promising one.’

"I was just looking for you," Zhou Shuwen said, spotting him and beckoning him over. "This is Liu Banxia, the Chief Resident of our Emergency Department. He was also the lead surgeon for the operation you just observed. If you have any questions, feel free to ask him."

"Alright, everyone, this way. Please clear the emergency access!" Liu Banxia beckoned.

WHOOSH. The group instantly surrounded him, startling him.

"Are you all interning at the Second Hospital this year? Come to the Emergency Department! We have plenty of resources and lots of hands-on opportunities. See Doctor Liang over there? She’s been here less than a month, and she’s already handling surgeries without any problems," Liu Banxia said, pulling Liang Xiaolin over.

"However, she’s not a general surgeon; she’s in cardiothoracic surgery. Her skills are excellent, which, of course, is also closely related to her training here in the Emergency Department."

"Dr. Liu, how do you perform the small-incision appendectomy so well and so quickly?" a resident asked.

"It’s about mulling it over and refining the technique. Actually, it’s not as difficult as you might think," Liu Banxia responded with a smile.

"The key is to always prioritize the patient. Gradually, everyone’s skills will improve. What’s crucial is to be familiar with the appendix’s location. Before any surgery, you must carefully study the imaging data, striving to imprint it in your mind."

"Dr. Liu, can I request you to be my supervising instructor?" the pretty foreign girl asked. Although her Chinese was a bit accented, it was clear.

"That will depend on your departmental assignments. The hospital will arrange the specific training programs. But as long as you’re in the Emergency Department, we’ll all be learning together," Liu Banxia replied with a smile.

"Feel free to look around the Emergency Department. However, this is just our temporary workspace. Once the new building is ready, we’ll have an even bigger stage."

"Working in the Emergency Department can be exhausting, but I believe it will be incredibly beneficial for your future growth. Don’t miss this chance to temper your skills."

Although he’d pitched it hard, it remained to be seen how many of them would choose to stay in the Emergency Department. Sweet talk alone wouldn’t cut it; it would be tough for anyone without genuine dedication to last.