The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 568 was caught conscripting again

"Doctor, didn’t you say it was just an ingrown toenail?" After a moment of silence, the patient spoke.

"Maybe it started as an ingrown toenail, but when the infection progresses to a certain extent, or if it’s infected by some particularly dangerous bacteria, it can lead to the current situation," Liu Banxia said.

"To be precise, the wound itself is secondary; the key is the bacteria. Such bacteria often possess strong drug resistance, so even though you took medication at home, it had minimal effect."

"After being infected by this type of bacteria, if it’s only a localized infection in the subcutaneous tissue, it’s not a major concern. But if it spreads, it can develop into necrotizing fasciitis."

"This is a disease with a very high mortality rate and is extremely dangerous. I’m not trying to scare you, but our Emergency Center, despite not being open for very long, has encountered several such cases."

"The actual outcomes weren’t very good. If the patient’s own immune system is strong, and if the infection is confined to the subcutaneous tissue of the toe, I could perform debridement for you, but it would still require a very long recovery period."

"However, the fact that you still feel pain after the local anesthetic proves it has already spread to the bone. If the bone is affected, how can debridement be done? If it continues to spread, the amputation might not be limited to just your big toe."

"Even now, we need to observe you closely to see if there are signs of it spreading to surrounding tissues. This disease is very troublesome; sometimes it spreads undetected."

At a time like this, one can’t afford to consider the patient’s emotional capacity; she must be told the complete truth so she understands the detailed situation.

This would be easy to explain during a pathology discussion, but it’s not so easy to say directly to a patient, especially a young woman.

The patient could only weep; for her, this was devastating news.

Liu Banxia gestured to Xu Yino with his eyes, indicating she should comfort the patient. After all, they were both women, making some things easier to discuss.

The previous patient merely had a fishbone lodged in his finger. He was able to perform a thorough debridement, removing all necrotic tissue, leaving basically only the phalanx.

Yet, even that was a risk, and they had to observe him for several days. Only when no other complications arose was the treatment considered successful.

This patient was different. She still felt pain even after the local anesthetic. This indicated her infection was more severe; saving her big toe would be incredibly difficult.

After stepping out, Liu Banxia saw there was nothing pressing, so he wandered directly over to Wu Mingyu’s station.

"You’re just in time. There’s a patient with a dislocated shoulder; help me reduce it," Wu Mingyu said.

"I was just about to discuss the previous case with you, and you’re already giving me work," Liu Banxia muttered.

Muttering aside, he still had to help.

For him, this type of joint reduction wasn’t a major task, much easier than reducing a fracture. In a few minutes, he handled it effortlessly, gaining 100 experience points and 100 proficiency points for his Bonesetting skill.

"I’m telling you, you should set up your clinic here with us. You’d definitely lighten our workload considerably," Wu Mingyu said when Liu Banxia wandered back.

"Is everything clear now? Then let’s talk about the young woman who might need her big toe amputated. Are there any other options to save it?" Liu Banxia asked.

Wu Mingyu frowned and shook his head. "That depends on her luck, the extent of her infection, and the type of bacteria."

"You’re no layman. If we don’t amputate, given her current condition, it’s truly too dangerous. It could cost her her life. Would the patient dare to take that risk?"

Liu Banxia grimaced. "I’ve already asked the lab to expedite the tests. I’ve thought about it for a long time but can’t come up with anything else. Unless the infection isn’t deep and it’s anaerobic bacteria—could we try a hyperbaric oxygen chamber then?"

Wu Mingyu nodded. "We could try, but it’s still risky. Actually, the current indications are quite clear; surgery should be performed immediately."

"But considering the patient’s ability to accept it, I didn’t say so at the time. I thought you’d tell her frankly, but you didn’t either, did you?"

"I told her, but the patient is still hesitant. It’s also to be more cautious; after all, it’s an amputation. This disease is so troublesome. You carry on; I’ll head off," Liu Banxia said.

With that, he slipped away, afraid Wu Mingyu would press-gang him into more work again.

When it came to being put to work, no one showed him any mercy. He couldn’t handle everything himself; it was better for them to rely on their own efforts. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

When the test results came back, Liu Banxia sighed inwardly. There’s no other way; amputation is necessary.

"Xu Yino, you admitted this patient, so please communicate with her again. Her family members are here too, right? They also need to be told that she’ll require 24-hour observation post-surgery. If anything seems wrong, they should call a doctor immediately," Liu Banxia said.

Xu Yino nodded. She had also seen the test results. At this point, she was no longer hoping to save the girl’s big toe but rather that the infection hadn’t spread.

It’s because necrotizing fasciitis spreads so rapidly; that’s the most terrifying aspect of this disease.

"President Liu, an 8-year-old boy is being brought in with a crushed right leg and a comminuted fracture!" the dispatch nurse called out.

"Get Wu Mingyu. Have him diagnose this young patient first. Anyway, the other patient also needs pre-operative preparations," Liu Banxia said.

This was the normal rhythm of life in the Emergency Center. All morning, there hadn’t been any orthopedic emergencies or surgeries, mostly just dislocations or follow-up appointments. But now? A toe amputation and another emergency case had arrived together.

"Go, cover my shift in the clinic and look at the X-rays," Wu Mingyu said, rushing over.

"Sigh, still couldn’t escape your clutches. Brother Wei, please keep an eye on things here for me," Liu Banxia called out.

Wei Yuan smiled and nodded.

So this was Liu Banxia’s role. Otherwise, they would have to call an orthopedic doctor from the inpatient department. That would take time, and some patients might get too anxious and complain.

He had just sat down when a young man walked in, cradling his left arm. Liu Banxia took the registration slip and pulled up the patient’s information: 24 years old, left arm fractured after a fall.

"Sit down. Let me take a look first. How did you fall?" Liu Banxia asked.

"My legs gave out while I was going down the stairs, and then I fell. Can this be fixed with external fixation?" the patient asked.

Liu Banxia glanced at him in surprise, then carefully examined his wrist. There was some redness and swelling. He palpated the edges; the problem didn’t seem too severe.

"Let’s get an X-ray first. If the displacement isn’t major and there are no bone fragments, we can just reduce it and apply external fixation. Otherwise, we’ll have to do internal fixation surgery," Liu Banxia said.

"Are you a medical professional? Or does someone in your family work in this field? You speak very professionally. You should be more careful then. Were you on your phone while going down the stairs?"

The patient gave a wry smile and shook his head. "It’s a case of ’a long illness makes a good doctor,’ I suppose. I think I’m cursed by misfortune; I’ve fractured bones several times already."

Liu Banxia frowned. "I’m quite curious. Tell me about it."

"Sigh... it’s nothing much. Anyway, you’d definitely ask after seeing the X-ray, so I’m used to it," the patient said.

"In just over a year, my right arm has been fractured twice, and now my left arm is following suit. My left leg was fractured once while playing soccer. At that time, they also found a fractured rib, but I don’t know when that happened."

"They also said my calcium loss is severe, and I need to take calcium supplements. I’ve been taking them, but today, I was preoccupied, and with my rotten luck, I fractured another bone."

"Then let’s do another blood test to check your body’s calcium levels. If you fracture bones so easily and taking calcium supplements hasn’t replenished your calcium, I suspect there might be another underlying problem," Liu Banxia said after a moment of thought.

"Alright then. I also feel like the calcium pills aren’t doing much. It’s been a bit better recently, but when it was cold a while ago, my legs would ache, and I’d get cramps easily," the patient nodded.

"Then I’ll order it for you," Liu Banxia said with a smile. "Don’t worry, I’m not just an orthopedic doctor; I’m also a general surgeon, and I occasionally fill in for internal medicine."

This amused the patient. "Alright, if I’m still calcium deficient, please help me get it properly supplemented. Otherwise, I don’t know if I’m turning into a glass man; this daily suffering is too much."

Liu Banxia nodded and wrote out the test request for the patient.

The human body is quite marvelous. This was a young man, not an old man in his seventies or eighties. For him to have such severe calcium loss, there must be other underlying issues.

Moreover, he merely missed a step. His foot, which should have been more prone to fracture, was fine. Instead, his left wrist, which he used for light support, was injured. There’s definitely something wrong here.

When the young man returned with the X-rays, the problem indeed wasn’t serious. Calling it a fracture was an overstatement; it was a bone crack. It didn’t even require reduction, just a splint.

"Anyway, there’s nothing major. Wait here for a bit for the blood test results. I suspect your calcium supplementation has had some effect, so this time it’s just a bone crack," Liu Banxia said.

"Doctor, what could cause such calcium loss? My leg pain and cramps when it gets cold—are those also signs of calcium deficiency?" the patient asked.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Bodily endocrine issues, diet, and bad habits can all cause calcium loss. Actually, sometimes it’s not about loss, but rather incomplete absorption, resulting in low calcium content in the bones."

"Do you smoke or drink alcohol? Drink coffee? What are your usual dietary habits like? Do you stay up late? Or are there any other relevant conditions?"

The young man shook his head with a wry smile. "The previous doctor said the same things. I occasionally drink a little beer, but I don’t smoke. I also drink coffee only occasionally. I pay attention to a balanced diet of meat and vegetables, and I usually take vitamins and calcium pills."

Liu Banxia furrowed his eyebrows. If that’s the case, then we’ll have to investigate endocrine issues.