The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 645 Something’s wrong

"Comrade Old Liu, do we have a conclusion for Liu Lu's illness yet?" Wang Xiaoyan asked with some concern during lunch in the canteen.

Liu Banxia shook his head. "Not yet. We're trying to figure out which diagnostic direction to take. We're quite perplexed at the moment, as all potential causes seem plausible but not definitive."

"Oh... what can we do then? Even you can't figure it out?" Wang Xiaoyan sighed.

Liu Banxia gave her a wry smile. "I need some clear indicators before I can form a tentative hypothesis and perform the corresponding examinations."

"Considering her current symptoms, we think the problem might stem from somewhere within her digestive system—possibly her small intestine's absorption function or her stomach's digestive function."

"But both of these diagnostic procedures are somewhat invasive. Simpler tests, like an intestinal barium meal, can only provide a general overview and may not be entirely accurate."

"Moreover, this is just our suspicion. Her daily bodily functions, like bowel movements, passing gas, or urination, are all normal."

"Oh, don't they say that people who fart often have good digestion?" Wang Xiaoyan asked curiously.

"That's nonsense; it depends on the situation," Liu Banxia replied.

"If you eat foods that tend to produce gas, like certain beans, then it's normal. Unobstructed gas passage prevents indigestion and bloating."

"But if you're passing gas frequently after normal meals, it only indicates a certain degree of indigestion. There's a high probability that your gastrointestinal motility is weakened, causing excessive gas to accumulate in the body."

"You all see her quite frequently. Have you noticed her burping or farting often? If that were the case, she probably wouldn't socialize much."

Wang Xiaoyan nodded; that made sense. After all, as a girl, constantly farting would be mortifying, wouldn't it?

"Speaking of which, the pig's trotters here are really good," Wang Xiaoyan suddenly remarked.

"Sister Yanzi, our Teacher Liu has recently developed a fondness for pig's trotters," Xu Yino said with a grin.

"This has led the master chefs in our canteen to put a lot of effort into their braised pig's trotters. Perhaps they'll even make it a signature dish someday."

"Haha, that would be great. Are you all usually this busy? I see him going over to sign documents whenever he's free, and he's always running around," Wang Xiaoyan remarked.

"He's the chief resident, so many documents require his signature. Plus, we're just medical interns and don't have prescribing authority. For related issues, we need an attending physician's authorization," Xu Yino explained.

"The other attending physicians have their own matters to handle, either diagnosing patients or communicating with their families. We don't want to disturb them, so we can only turn to Teacher Liu."

"Wow, it seems Comrade Old Liu is indeed quite formidable," Wang Xiaoyan nodded in acknowledgment.

"Sigh… no matter how skilled I am, it's no use. This Liu Lu case today is already causing enough headaches," Liu Banxia said.

"Let's see how the results turn out after the adjustments; it should be fine for now. But I think she should be hospitalized for a few days of observation. Perhaps daily monitoring will reveal some clues."

"Are there no other options?" Wang Xiaoyan asked.

Liu Banxia nodded. "This is the best solution I've come up with after careful consideration. It's better than her suffering through aimless tests. The remaining options are things like gastroscopy and CT scans, but without identifying the problem, it will just be a waste of money."

Wang Xiaoyan said nothing. She didn't understand these things, but Liu Banxia's explanation seemed to make sense.

As for this patient, Banxia was currently out of ideas. There were too few observable symptoms, and all potential diagnoses had contradictory aspects.

"How are you feeling now?" Liu Banxia asked, approaching Liu Lu's bedside after lunch.

"I feel a bit more energetic now. Does this mean I'm all right? And I just need to be more mindful of the mitral valve prolapse in the future?" Liu Lu asked.

"Well... it's not quite like that. We still haven't determined the exact cause of your illness, so our recommendation is for you to stay in the hospital for observation," Liu Banxia replied.

"What we're doing now is only palliative, addressing the symptoms, not the underlying cause of your illness. By observing you in the hospital, we might notice issues that could otherwise be overlooked."

"What? I have to be hospitalized? But I feel fine now! I don't need to stay; I don't feel ill at all," Liu Lu said hurriedly.

"Liu Lu, I think you should listen to him. He's very good at treating illnesses. He said your current symptoms are too few to conduct detailed tests. Even if they did, it would just be guesswork and a waste of money," Wang Xiaoyan suggested.

"But if I'm suddenly hospitalized, all my plans will be disrupted. Can I be admitted in a few days? My current problem isn't that serious, is it?" Liu Lu questioned.

"Hmm... I personally recommend you stay today. After all, you experienced a fainting spell, which is quite risky," Liu Banxia said.

"What if you experienced similar symptoms while crossing the road, riding an escalator, or driving?"

"Your health is paramount. Besides, our hospital food is quite good and won't interfere with your regular diet at all. You can eat as you normally do—alcohol, soft drinks, milk tea—it's all fine."

"Based on my personal assessment, we should have a rough idea within one or two days, three at the most. We need to figure out what's causing your high blood urea nitrogen, high sodium, and low potassium."

"Liu Lu, I really think you should stay. The food here is genuinely good, and I've never heard of anyone being able to eat and drink so freely in a hospital!" Wang Xiaoyan said.

"Sister Yanzi, Liu Lu seems to really dislike the hospital smell; she didn't even eat lunch," said the young woman who accompanied them.

"The smell of disinfectant makes me lose my appetite. If I'm hospitalized, I think I'll actually starve," Liu Lu added. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Liu Banxia furrowed his brow. Could being so sensitive to odors be a symptom?

"Are you sensitive to other smells as well?" Liu Banxia asked, hesitating slightly.

Liu Lu shook her head. "Maybe it's just because I've never stayed in a hospital this long before. This is the first time."

"Can you at least stay for today? We need to observe you more closely; otherwise, your mitral valve prolapse could be quite dangerous," Liu Banxia compromised.

He had no other choice; after all, the patient's wishes had to be considered.

Liu Lu pondered for a moment and nodded. Just then, her stomach rumbled.

"Even if you dislike the hospital smell, you should try to eat a little. Otherwise, it could further affect our diagnosis," Liu Banxia said.

"However, the fact that you have borborygmi because you haven't eaten does, to a certain extent, indicate that your intestinal peristalsis is functioning normally. We'll need to investigate other aspects."

There was nothing more to do for now but observe. Another test would be done in the evening to check if her electrolytes had returned to normal.

"Brother Wang, I'm at my wit's end. The patient seems fine at the moment. I managed to persuade her to stay for observation until this evening," Liu Banxia said to Wang Huan in his office.

"Sigh... it's a tough situation. A minor mitral valve prolapse and an electrolyte imbalance... it's genuinely hard to justify admitting her," Wang Huan nodded in agreement.

"So, what's your next diagnostic step? You need at least a preliminary assessment, right? Otherwise, with routine tests, the results might not be accurate due to the medication she's received."

"That's what's bothering me the most. I'm completely in the dark; I can't make head or tail of it. Oh, Wang Chao, you're here! Another transplant? How's the patient doing now?"

"So far, so good. He's stabilized at about five to six bowel movements per day," Wang Chao said happily.

"Ah... finally, some good news. At this rate, will another one or two transplants be enough?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Hehe, I'm not sure. We can only continue with the transplants and see how it goes," Wang Chao said.

"We have to say, we've been quite lucky. Otherwise, it might not have been successful. By the way, the patient's parents want to thank the donor. What do you guys think?"

Wang Huan chuckled. "We should ask the donor for their opinion. However, I doubt they'll consent. This kind of thing... well, it's complicated."

Liu Banxia nodded. "It's probably best to avoid it. It's like with some organ transplants; anonymity is often preferred to prevent future complications. People's feelings can change, and who knows what might happen down the line."

Wang Chao nodded. "That's true. Well, I'll let you get back to it. I need to make a call and ask. I'll explain the situation, and we'll take it from there."

With that, Wang Chao left.

"This is truly remarkable. I didn't expect the first patient to do so well," Wang Huan said.

"Sigh... I'm stuck on my case here. This current situation is a real headache," Liu Banxia responded with a wry smile.

"And the patient has an aversion to the hospital smell; she can't even eat. I was just wondering if this could be a newly discovered symptom."

Could it simply be due to dietary reasons? Are we overthinking this? Is the mitral valve prolapse primary?

Wait a minute. Something seems off. Even if the hospital smell is unpleasant, she should still eat if she's hungry. Why didn't she eat? Something's not right, something's definitely wrong. I have to go check on her.

Liu Banxia immediately headed out.

Wang Huan glanced over. Since there were no patients waiting for consultation at the moment, he decided to follow along and see. Judging by Liu Banxia's demeanor, he might have figured something out.