My Medical Skills Give Me Experience Points Chapter 4 4: Director, I've found the cause of the shock
Previously on My Medical Skills Give Me Experience Points...
The patient, racing past red lights amid flashes of lightning, was hurried into the operating theater on a stretcher.
"Good morning, Director Liu! Good morning, everyone, senior physicians!"
Inside, Zhou Can spotted seventeen or eighteen figures, all clad in surgical gowns, masks, and caps. Truth be told, distinguishing one from another without close scrutiny was tricky indeed.
By now, he was getting the hang of these greetings.
He'd single out Director Liu, the top authority there, and lump the rest together as "senior doctors" to wrap it up neatly.
Usually, Director Liu spent mornings at the clinic.
This early operation suggested a sudden shift in his timetable.
"I've got a seminar at the Provincial Medical Association this afternoon. I'll head out right after we wrap this up. Let's get moving without delay!"
Director Liu's credentials ran deep, yet his scholarly output fell short, leaving him stalled at associate chief physician. Dropping that "associate" before hanging up his scrubs was his biggest dream.
His drive showed in how often he jumped at academic gatherings.
With teamwork, the patient was hoisted onto the operating table.
The circulating nurse urged the patient to shed his top clothing and prepped the skin once more. Next, the anesthetist approached to assess the patient pre-anesthesia, confirmed everything checked out, then attached monitors for vital signs, fitted the oxygen mask, and more.
In complex operations, the anesthetist's role rivals the lead surgeon's in importance.
He tracks the patient's life signs from start to finish, offering crucial advice as needed.
This procedure targeted removal of cervical lymph node tuberculosis, rated as a Class 3 general surgery.
Operations like this demand a director as the primary surgeon.
Even seasoned attending docs could only assist as first or second hands.
The risks involved were obvious.
Zhou Can, mere intern, had his brief shine wheeling the patient to the room. But now, with the patient secured on the table, he wouldn't even touch a retractor.
All he could do was hang back and watch to pick up knowledge.
Truthfully, catching a few views of big surgeries can feel fresh at first. Yet, without practical involvement after repeats, the takeaways stay shallow.
Interns often joke about their "fleeting glimpse."
Recalling which instrument for what step, or the exact techniques—it's near impossible to retain.
Only dire emergencies demanding rescue meds stick in the mind.
"Mr. Gao, do you hear my voice?"
The anesthetist had induced sleep via inhaler, and the patient's eyelids had drooped shut wearily.
Addressing the patient tests their alertness.
No response came; he lay in profound slumber.
The anesthetist examined the limbs once more, then glanced at the monitor displaying key metrics.
"Anesthesia complete, vitals steady—surgery can commence."
This cue went straight to the main surgeon.
The scrub nurse aided Director Liu with his gloves, while first, second, and third assistants assumed positions.
The setup evoked the tense buildup before combat.
Only here, the fighters battled against illness.
"Cut!"
The lead surgeon instructed the first assistant.
In grand procedures, the chief handles just the pivotal segments.
The toughest ones, no less.
Observe: the first assistant gripped the scalpel at the designated spot, slicing into the neck skin with unflinching poise.
Vessels and nodes crammed the region, sending a shiver across Zhou Can's scalp.
Were it his hand on the blade, he'd hesitate to press down.
With the cut made, tissues separated, and preliminaries set, second and third assistants pulled retractors hard to expose the field, boosting the surgeon's view and easing the work.
An egg-sized lymph node emerged, flanked by others of assorted dimensions. The carotid throbbed powerfully.
Removing these afflicted parts amid tangled vessels and nerves ramped up the challenge immensely.
The head surgeon zeroed in on peeling away the biggest node.
His face intent, actions precise, gentle, and masterful.
The team synced seamlessly.
Bleeds got zapped on the spot, like hammering moles—spot-on and rapid.
Zhou Can observed in awe.
Midway through, convulsions hit the patient abruptly, vitals crashing fast.
Alarms blared from the monitor right after.
"Trouble—blood pressure's tanked under 60, breaths irregular, heart at 160... Director Liu, did you nick the carotid?"
The anesthetist queried in alarm.
"No!"
Director Liu, veteran of countless perils, stayed composed in turmoil.
"Hitting a major nerve seems improbable too. No breathing nerves here."
The first assistant chimed in.
Behind, resident physicians floundered. Interns fared worse, gripped by fear and utter uselessness.
In that split-second pause, the anesthetist delivered grim updates: the patient's state had worsened swiftly into shock.
Shock teeters on death's edge.
Sweat beaded on Director Liu's brow instantly.
"Wipe it!"
The scrub nurse darted in to dab his forehead.
Unease rippled through the theater fast.
Should the patient perish inexplicably under the knife, Director Liu's career legacy would shatter, tarnishing all participants.
Zhou Can drew a steadying breath, let it out, and steadied his frayed nerves.
He willed calmness upon himself.
Strangely, an unseen duty pressed on him then.
Safeguarding patient life and well-being defines every healer's vow.
Despite his modest skills, he yearned to aid.
This case fell under his watch for the op, so he knew the symptoms, history, and tests inside out.
He reviewed the charts, background, and scans in his head.
Suddenly, faint red spots bloomed on the patient's skin.
A spark ignited in his thoughts.
"That's it, has to be!"
Zhou Can voiced the odd revelation abruptly, startling the room.
"Xiao Zhou, hush. Can't you see Director Liu and the specialists are pondering?" The resident chief snapped icily.
"Director Liu, I've pinpointed why the patient's in shock."
Brushing off the chief's rebuke, Zhou Can gazed at Director Liu with fervor.
Stunned silence fell.
Eyes swiveled to the back-row intern.
Seasoned Director Liu and attendings stumped—could a run-of-the-mill trainee unravel the shock's mystery?
Doubt clouded their faces.
"Speak!"
Shaking off shock, Director Liu opted to hear the junior out.
Though optimism was slim.
Over decades mentoring, he'd witnessed countless eager youths, bold yet brittle. After scant study and basics, they puffed up with self-importance.
Their disease breakdowns rang hollow, pure guesswork from bias. Ultimately, comical.