My Medical Skills Give Me Experience Points Chapter 1391 552: Level 6 Pharmacological Differentiation, Trouble Caused by Pediatric Summer Cooling Patch (Part 3)

The child patient's grandfather, a man who appeared to be just under fifty, addressed the assembly. Though he was a grandfather, his age was not particularly advanced. The child's parents, a young couple in their early twenties, were still quite green and inexperienced. Consequently, the primary decisions impacting the child were typically managed and overseen by the grandparents.

"Very well, thank you for your trust and cooperation. Our hospital will certainly do its utmost. We all share the same objective: hoping this intelligent and adorable baby recovers swiftly."

Director Tang Fei brought the meeting to a close, marking a temporary end to their discussions.

...

As lunchtime approached, Zhou Can glanced at his phone. He discovered a voice message from Director Tang Fei on WeChat. She informed him that after the child received an intravenous drip of prostaglandin, a noticeable improvement in symptoms was observed. The primary indications of heart failure manifest as chest tightness and difficulty breathing.

Director Tang Fei also relayed that the child's mother had specifically sent a message to express gratitude for Zhou Can's suggestion of feeding the baby with a dropper. Although this method was somewhat time-consuming, after administering breast milk this way, the infant had been sleeping peacefully for over two hours without waking, a feat almost unimaginable in the preceding two days.

The child had been crying almost incessantly, both day and night. Since infants cannot articulate their needs verbally, crying becomes their sole natural method of expression when experiencing discomfort. Adults, too, might resort to crying when feeling unwell.

When dealing with particularly fussy infants, especially newborns, it is crucial to remain vigilant for signs of illness or pain. During his time on duty in pediatrics, Zhou Can once attended to a child patient just over four months old. The child's mother was at her wit's end, confiding in Zhou Can that she had no idea why her baby had been crying non-stop for days.

The disruption during the night was so severe that she barely managed to get any sleep. Upon examining the child, Zhou Can discovered a herbal plaster affixed to the infant's navel. Further inquiry revealed that the child's grandmother, noticing the hot weather causing the baby to sweat excessively, had taken the child to a small clinic downstairs for a pediatric cooling plaster. She was concerned about the infant suffering from heatstroke.

Some acquaintances of the child's family had spoken highly of the pediatric cooling plaster's effectiveness, claiming it could prevent heatstroke and prickly heat in children. The clinic's 'doctor,' eager to make a sale, had enthusiastically promoted the plaster as being purely herbal with no adverse effects.

The child's grandmother, naturally, placed her complete trust in these claims. For the first two days after applying the plaster, the child slept soundly. Even during the midday heat, when naps were usually difficult, the plaster seemed to ensure the baby slept deeply for two consecutive days. However, by the third day, the child began exhibiting signs of fussiness.

By the time the baby was brought to the hospital on the morning of the fifth day, Zhou Can, relying on his experience, immediately suspected the plaster was the likely culprit behind the child's distress. Carefully peeling the plaster away from the infant's navel revealed that the delicate skin beneath was already red and swollen. Furthermore, the navel area showed signs of developing into a pustule, with a faint odor suggestive of decomposition emanating from it.

Had they delayed seeking medical attention for another day or two, the ramifications would have been unthinkable. The ambient temperature was high, and the child's natural resistance to bacteria and viruses was inherently weak. The navel, reminiscent of the abdomen's 'eye,' plays a critical role during fetal development in nutrient and oxygen absorption from the mother. With the area festering and suppurating, if the infection were to invade the abdominal cavity, septicemia alone could easily prove fatal for the young patient.