CHAPTER 155: 155 FEAR OF AIDS IS NOT THE PROBLEM

"Are you still keen on making a fuss? Remember, even if you’re willing to compensate, if he decides to go all out, the punishment will be severe for your people as well. Stay in Treatment Room Two for now; I’ll take care of things," Liu Banxia said after leading Qiaoqiao into the room.

"Oh..." Qiaoqiao replied, her head lowered.

Liu Banxia was startled by her unexpected obedience. Is she planning something? However, he didn’t have time to dwell on it; there were still plenty of people outside to deal with.

"Everyone, please calm down. The patient’s blood from earlier carries an infectious disease. However, the risk isn’t very high, and I’ve also been exposed to it," Liu Banxia said, making an effort to keep his expression calm.

"Doctor, our boss isn’t in any trouble, is she?" asked one of the men in security uniforms.

"No, she was just too impulsive and needs some time to reflect," Liu Banxia said with a smile. "A nurse will assist you with thorough cleaning shortly. Those of you with open wounds will need to have a blood sample taken for testing. So, Qiaoqiao is your boss? I initially thought she was just tagging along for fun."

"Our boss is quite considerate towards us, actually; some customers are just too rowdy," one of the young men replied.

"Alright. Just keep this in mind moving forward. Be careful not to use excessive force, even when you’re in the right. Control the situation and call the police. If the person decides to sue, money won’t be able to solve everything," Liu Banxia remarked. "Xu Dan, lead them to clean up. This task is now yours. And keep the blood samples and contact information. Brother Wei, please keep a close eye while I take the patient for suturing."

Wei Yuan nodded. "Leave it to me."

This patient was a special case. After escorting him to the operating room, Liu Banxia also made sure the patient’s hands were protected to prevent his blood from spilling, which would necessitate a comprehensive disinfection of the hospital.

Currently, the patient had only a preliminary positive HIV test, with no confirmed diagnosis from the CDC. Nevertheless, medical staff were already required to treat such patients as if they had a Class B infectious disease. The surgery had to be done in an isolation operating room. Medical staff also needed protective equipment such as fluid-resistant masks, safety goggles, aprons, and shoe covers. This was just for a simple debridement and suturing procedure. If the patient had another condition requiring procedures like a laparotomy or drainage, where there might be splashing body fluids, then fluid-resistant isolation gowns would be necessary.

Liu Banxia couldn’t help but chuckle when he entered the operating room. Everyone there was decked out in full gear, even more thoroughly than he was.

But he understood. Even for those knowledgeable in medical care, handling such cases can still be very challenging. After all, if one were unintentionally infected, life would become much harder.

It’s normal to fear HIV; it would be abnormal not to. Liu Banxia was afraid too, but he couldn’t just pass this case to Orthopedics, could he? How could they collaborate effectively in the future if he did?

Now, as the one in charge of the Emergency Department, he had to take the lead, whether he wanted to or not.

"I didn’t expect you to actually operate on me. The last time I had gastroenteritis and went to the hospital, they were too afraid to even give me an IV," the patient said as Liu Banxia was putting on his gloves.

"So that’s why you didn’t disclose your condition earlier? But still, be careful. Avoid crowded public places as much as possible," Liu Banxia replied casually.

"Who’s the anesthesiologist on duty today? Announce yourself, show us what you’ve got! The green mountains don’t change, the clear waters flow on forever... I can’t make up the rest."

The previously tense atmosphere in the operating room relaxed considerably after his rambling.

"That would be me, Li Liwei," the anesthesiologist, Li Liwei, answered helplessly.

"Knowing Brother Li is here, I feel reassured. He has no other medical history. However, because of this condition, you’ll have to put in some extra effort," Liu Banxia said.

"Just complete the surgery quickly, and I’ll treat you to an extra serving of chicken drumsticks for lunch tomorrow," Li Liwei said earnestly.

Liu Banxia rolled his eyes. The chicken drumstick joke had really made the rounds in the Second Hospital.

"Don’t take it personally," Liu Banxia said to the patient. "It’s just that after the surgery, the operating room and surgical instruments will need special decontamination. And don’t worry, we won’t inform your family or workplace about your situation. But I’d advise you to drink less in the future; it’s not good for you. Also, don’t be too relentless when you’re in the right; it’s not beneficial for either party."

The patient nodded. "Doctor, thank you. Did my hand injury affect any nerves?"

"Let me take a look first. Brother Li, has the anesthesia kicked in yet?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Give it two more minutes," Li Liwei replied.

This wasn’t general anesthesia, but a right brachial plexus block. An inflatable tourniquet was used for hemostasis. His right hand was placed on the small table beside the bed, elevated, and then the tourniquet was inflated, which effectively controlled the bleeding.

Once the anesthesia took effect, Liu Banxia thoroughly cleaned the wound.

"There’s an oblique wound approximately 2.5 centimeters long on the right wrist, extending from the base of the thenar eminence to the middle of the transverse wrist crease, deep to the tendon. The wound track extends obliquely deeper towards the midline of the wrist. We need to extend the incision by about two centimeters for exploration," Liu Banxia stated after cleaning.

Taking the scalpel, Liu Banxia extended the incision proximally, then switched to an electrocautery knife to dissect through the tissue layer by layer.

"Exploration reveals transection of the flexor carpi radialis tendon and the palmaris longus tendon. The epineurium of the superficial palmar branch of the median nerve is torn, and the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery is transected," Liu Banxia continued. "It’s okay. Although there will still be some minor impact after suturing, it won’t be a major problem if you actively participate in rehabilitation. Anyway, you’re not a weightlifter, so your normal daily life shouldn’t be affected."

"Two tendons, one nerve sheath. How long do you expect this will take, Banxia?" Li Liwei asked.

"Since Brother Li has spoken, I’ll get the rest done within half an hour," Liu Banxia said, glancing at the timer.

He first ligated the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery and its accompanying veins. Next came the debridement and suturing of the transected ends of the flexor carpi radialis and palmaris longus tendons.

Even though this was only his second time formally suturing tendons, he was extremely quick. This came as no surprise to Li Liwei and the others who were already familiar with his speed; otherwise, they would have been astonished.

His pace slowed slightly when suturing the nerve sheath. Unlike tendons, which just needed to be brought together, nerves required much more meticulous care. He had to be extremely careful with each pass of the needle; if the nerve was mostly intact and he caused further damage, it would be disastrous.

He used 7-0 suture material this time. After completing the repair, he admired his handiwork proudly for a good ten seconds.

"Okay, release the tourniquet and check for any bleeding," Liu Banxia said cheerfully.

The tourniquet was released, and the wound was thoroughly irrigated with saline and metronidazole. Any bleeders were identified and controlled. After irrigating the wound again, he proceeded with layered closure and bandaging.

DING! Daily Task completed (20/20)

Experience gained: 300, Glory Points: 5

Patient Reception Task completed. Experience Points gained: 300. Diagnostic Skill Proficiency +100. Suturing Skill Proficiency +400. Dressing Change Skill Proficiency +100.

Patient Reception Task rating: Perfect. Experience Points gained: 500. Diagnostic Skill Proficiency +200. Suturing Skill Proficiency +800. Dressing Change Skill Proficiency +200. Glory Points +5.

Liu Banxia was in high spirits, quite satisfied with his impressive performance.