My Medical Skills Give Me Experience Points Chapter 1208 - 477: Medical Ethics—Turns Out It’s Pneumothorax (2)

Her inquiry came straight to the point.

The way she spoke hinted at her intent to stir up issues with the first hospital.

This reaction is typical among relatives when complications follow surgery.

They blame the hospital for the flawed operation and expect it to take accountability.

"Complications after surgery are events that no healthcare worker wishes to see, yet they're impossible to prevent entirely. I'm sure the physicians and nurses from the earlier hospital gave their all to care for your father. Rebuilding the chest wall with synthetic materials is a valid approach that aligns with accepted medical practices. That said, each person's healing process and immunity vary greatly. Prior to implantation, it's unpredictable if it will lead to an infection following the operation."

Zhou Can's reply demonstrated strong professionalism.

He avoided any criticism of Xinxiang Hospital and instead supported the team that performed the original procedure.

In fact, that's the reality of the situation.

How can anyone predict an infection ahead of the operation?

With issues cropping up now, relatives seeking to hassle the medical team is wholly unjustified.

"Thank you for clarifying that. When will my father be able to undergo the procedure?"

The relative dropped the issue without pressing on.

"Sister Yan, could you set it up for tomorrow?"

"I'll check with the OR and aim to slot him in for the procedure. It could end up after 7 PM, though. Ms. Zhao, does that work for you?"

By picking an evening slot, Director Xue Yan clearly wanted Zhou Can to join in on the surgery.

Certain topics are tough to discuss with relatives present.

Zhou Can picked up on the implied meaning.

"That's perfect, thank you, Director Xue, and thank you, Dr. Zhou!"

The relative bobbed her head in eager approval.

Getting the surgery lined up so swiftly was an unexpected boon for the family.

She recognized that the young Dr. Zhou played a key role in making it happen.

"Very well, we'll proceed like that! Unless something shifts, the nurses will notify you come morning, and a physician will need your signature. The anesthesiologist will check on the patient and chat with you, so make sure to assist as needed."

With those words, Director Xue Yan signaled that the relative could go.

"Got it, we'll cooperate completely. I'm heading out now, but you can reach me anytime in the ward." The relative departed, her spirits visibly lifted.

For numerous families, the sooner the surgery can be set, the better.

This holds especially true for those with challenging cases who've seen failed treatments at other places, leaving the relatives under heavy strain.

Once the relative had gone, Xue Yan turned her gaze to Zhou Can.

"You have to join in as assistant tomorrow!"

"Count me in!"

Zhou Can accepted without hesitation.

"Sister Yan, I could use your assistance on something. Director Lou mentioned today about an opportunity for in-service graduate studies, and he's already enrolled me. Back in my fourth year, I attempted the grad exams but didn't make it. Truthfully, I'm still not feeling secure about trying again now."

Even though his abilities had surged ahead since that fourth year.

The setback from the grad exam continued to leave a deep mental mark on him.

"Haha, with your talents, why the doubt about the grad exams? Usually, the pass rate hovers around one in three; out of every three test-takers, one typically gets through. The rivalry has intensified lately, hitting about one in four last year. Still, I'm confident you've got this in the bag."

Director Xue Yan chuckled while addressing him.

"Plus, with the hospital backing your slot, clearing the written and interview stages means your odds of success are basically guaranteed."

She was fully versed in the hospital's behind-the-scenes practices.

"The issue is, I'm afraid I might not clear the written or interview!"

Without prior wins in this domain, Zhou Can's inner doubts persisted.

"Who's the mentor assigned to you? Given your unique setup, the hospital will pair you with someone whose schedule is lenient, simplifying the path to your degree."

"Director Lou said it's a mentor specializing in orthopedic trauma."

"In that case, it's probably Professor Wu Xuesheng, who focuses on research and education rather than hands-on clinical duties. Working with him would boost your scholarly skills and investigative prowess. We've got two major procedures today; once they're done, if there's a moment, I'll gauge your baseline knowledge and outline a learning path for you. That said, you might benefit from talking to the head of orthopedics. They craft the exam questions at the admissions level, so they'd understand the focus areas far better than me."

Though Director Xue Yan excelled academically, she wasn't all-knowing.

In orthopedic trauma, an area outside her expertise, she'd defer to the orthopedic department head's superior insight.

"I'm on good terms with the orthopedics folks; after you guide my study focus, I'll check in with their chief for extra reassurance. But wouldn't it be wrong to straight-up ask for the exam questions?"

Zhou Can fretted that this could cross into illicit territory.

"Haha... You showed real boldness last time, rallying against the security team's failure to protect staff safety. So why the caution here? Don't worry, grad exams are tightly guarded secrets, and the ortho chief wouldn't risk spilling any. It's their vast experience that counts; many chiefs help compile the questions annually. Having them pinpoint the exam's boundaries would give you a sharper edge."

Watching her laugh freely, Zhou Can flushed and rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Haha, understood! I just didn't want to drag anyone into hot water by breaking rules. Sister Yan, you haven't been laughing often these days; this lighter side suits you well."

Time has a way of easing pains and fading memories.

She was slowly stepping out from under the weight of her split.

...

"Dr. Zhou, the lab results for that chest pain patient are in. Have a glance."

An intern brought over the reports for the patient experiencing chest discomfort and labored breathing.

"Show me!"

Zhou Can accepted the patient's diagnostic summary.

Curiosity piqued, Xue Yan inquired, "Xiao Chen, which patient is this?"

"An emergency admission we got word to shift to our ward. My attending was tied up in an op then, so it was fortunate Dr. Zhou was available, and we had him step in on the consult."

After Zhou Can skimmed the blood work and chest imaging, he passed the report along to Director Xue Yan.

"It's confirmed as a left-sided pneumothorax. The X-ray reveals major squeezing of the left lung, some blood in the chest cavity, a dulled angle at the left costophrenic spot, and the windpipe and central structures pushed over to the right. Good news is, no broken ribs. We should start with needle decompression to release the trapped air."

To him, managing these signs was straightforward.

The more advanced one's proficiency, the simpler it becomes to tackle conditions others view as tough.

"At just 28, the patient's so young! What led to the pneumothorax?" Director Xue Yan examined the details and raised no concerns with Zhou Can's proposed plan.

Women naturally lean toward chit-chat and probing curiosities.

Even in her role as director, she shared that trait.

She remained youthful herself.

In her forties, she hadn't yet acquired the detachment of those past sixty.

"During family dinner at home, his mom pushed him to wed and griped about his job dedication. The role's incredibly tough, with constant overnight duties and probably heavy physical labor. Between the grueling work, marriage pressures, and maternal nagging, he got furious and yelled out twice, triggering the pneumothorax."

Zhou Can felt deep empathy for this young man.

Fellas in their late twenties endure plenty of hardships.

No sounding board for concerns; marriage at least offers a spouse to vent work and life woes to.

"Ah, got it! Your skills with punctures are top-notch in our department, so handle the thoracentesis for him, please!"

Director Xue Yan agreed after listening and assigned the procedure to Zhou Can.

...

The needle thoracentesis on the patient didn't yield the hoped-for outcome.

This highlighted that superior needling ability doesn't always fix every issue on the spot.

In those cases, advancing to additional interventions becomes essential.

Zhou Can suspected the pneumothorax was worse than first thought.

Given the patient's home situation, he aimed to steer clear of surgical options if possible.