The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 725 Sudden Airway Obstruction

Liu Banxia felt a surge of anger upon hearing this. Perhaps because he was now an expectant father himself, he was more sensitive to these issues.

"Teacher Liu, we have a patient who fainted on the subway being brought in. Vital signs are stable, but he has lost his ability to speak," a dispatch nurse announced.

"Er... Liu Yiqing, prepare to see the patient. I'll supervise," Liu Banxia said after looking around.

Normally, Xu Hui would be asked to see this patient. However, it was early morning, and the internal medicine department was also packed with patients. A surgical doctor could first make a rough diagnosis and then consult the appropriate department.

"How are Li Hao and Huang Bo doing in the ICU and pediatrics? I've been solely helping the pediatrics department and forgot to check on them," Liu Banxia asked.

"Teacher Liu, it seems like they aim to surpass us. They're working very hard. Did you offer them any incentive?" Liu Yiqing asked curiously. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Nothing. I've said nothing. It's just a regular internship, just like yours," Liu Banxia replied.

"Actually, that's quite normal. No matter what you do, if you're lagging behind and others are setting an example, you have to work even harder."

"By the way, what are your thoughts on selling eggs? I'm just curious. Just tell me your honest thoughts."

"Teacher Liu, do we even need to contemplate that? Only a fool would do it," Liu Yiqing answered without a second thought.

Liu Banxia sighed inwardly. Yes, indeed. Only a fool would sell her eggs. Yet, there are many fools in this world who are ignorant of the truth. Perhaps they are in desperate situations, but this quick way to make money isn't good. They're essentially risking their health, or even their lives. How much money could ever be enough?

"Teacher Liu, why did this cross your mind?" Liu Yiqing asked curiously.

"No reason, it just somehow came up in conversation. The ambulance is here. Get ready to see the patient," Liu Banxia said.

Liu Yiqing curbed his curiosity. Focusing on seeing the patient was more important. There was no rush; he could always inquire more later.

"The patient's vitals are stable, around thirty years old. He suddenly had an attack of aphasia on the subway, then fainted. He woke up in the ambulance but still can't speak. A stroke has been ruled out," the paramedic who brought the patient in said.

"Take him to the exam table. I'll take over from here. Can you understand me? How many fingers am I holding up?" Liu Yiqing asked, then raised two fingers.

The patient nodded, mirrored Liu Yiqing's gesture, and then made a writing motion.

"Don't worry, we can communicate more once we get to the exam table," Liu Yiqing said.

Liu Banxia gave Liu Yiqing an encouraging look. This case seemed complicated, but Liu Yiqing should try handling it on his own, he thought.

After moving the patient, Liu Yiqing asked, "Where's your phone? Should we try to contact your family?" He picked up a notepad nearby and handed it to the patient.

The patient wrote, "Broken, card, call, faint." Although he could write, his illness made it difficult.

"Okay, I understand. I'll check your belongings and switch the SIM card. Besides fainting, are you experiencing anything else? Did you feel anything before you fainted?" Liu Yiqing probed further.

The patient wrote, "Faint, can't speak."

"Dr. Liu, you diagnose the patient. I'll switch the SIM card and contact his family," Liu Banxia said.

Liu Yiqing nodded, then looked at his patient again. "Don't worry, I'll examine you now. First, open your mouth and let me see if there's anything wrong with your throat, and then I'll give you a physical examination."

The patient was very cooperative. He may have lost his speech, but his hearing was fine.

While switching the SIM card, Liu Banxia kept an eye on Liu Yiqing's examination and was quite satisfied with his approach, attitude, and skills. He was proud of the capable student he had trained.

After switching the SIM card, he didn't find any contacts labeled "Wife" or "Darling." He eventually chose to call one named Jingru.

"Old Zhang, have you arrived at the office?" a voice asked on the other end of the line.

"Hi, do you know the owner of this phone? He fell ill on the subway and is now at the Second Affiliated Hospital..." Before Liu Banxia could finish, the person on the other end hung up.

Liu Banxia could only dial the number again, feeling helpless.

"What, you want me to transfer money to you again? Send over your bank account details," the woman on the other end of the call spoke again, sounding suspicious.

"It's not to scam you. I am a real doctor from the emergency center of the Second Affiliated Hospital. The owner of this phone fainted on the subway. Do you know him?" Liu Banxia patiently asked.

"Not a scammer? Not for money? Did something really happen to Old Zhang?" the woman's voice started to falter on the other end.

"Could you first tell me your relationship with him? We can only disclose information to family members," Liu Banxia said.

"Please, tell me. I'm his wife. What happened to Old Zhang?" the patient's wife asked.

Upon hearing this, Liu Banxia gave a sigh of relief. "At the moment, our doctor is performing an examination. However, he fell and broke his phone. He developed aphasia once he regained consciousness and currently can't speak. That's why I..."

"The Second Affiliated Hospital's Emergency Center? I'll head there immediately!" Before Liu Banxia could finish, the call had ended.

Liu Banxia helplessly shook his head. Such a hasty temper, he thought.

Indeed, contacting patients' families often goes like this, largely due to the prevalence of so many scammers out there who endlessly devise new tactics. Even when the police are enlisted to help contact them, it becomes extremely strenuous.

"Please don't worry. The contact labeled 'Jingru' must be your wife, right? She's currently on her way," Liu Banxia said as he approached the bed.

The patient nodded and gave a thumbs-up.

"Dr. Liu, we just performed a preliminary examination. Auscultation of the heart and lungs, and bowel sounds are all normal, as are his blood pressure and body temperature," Liu Yiqing stated.

"Based on the patient's responses, apart from symptoms of aphasia and discomfort following fainting, no other abnormalities were detected. I suspect there might be an issue... We should perform a cranial CT scan to check if Broca's area is affected."

"Alright, write the medical order directly. I'll sign it," Liu Banxia nodded.

He had the same thought: Broca's area, the motor speech center, was likely the issue. With no other observed anomalies and his only issue being an inability to speak, it was highly likely there was something wrong with his motor speech center. If this region was affected, even if the associated speech muscles remained functional, a person could lose their ability to speak. Clinically, this condition is called motor aphasia. Broca's area is one segment of the language center; other segments include the auditory, written, and visual language centers. If the auditory language center is affected, issues will arise with expression and comprehension, often resulting in irrelevant responses. Given that the patient responded to Liu Yiqing's inquiries without any issues, this could be ruled out. Regarding the written language center, a problem here is clinically referred to as agraphia—it's not the same as simply forgetting how to write. Although the patient struggled a bit to write, that was likely due to the aftereffects of fainting. If the visual language center malfunctions, it leads to issues with reading comprehension. Given the patient's writing ability, this could also be ruled out. The patient's symptoms clearly indicate that the motor speech center, Broca's area, is experiencing issues.

It could be a cyst or a tumor. Whatever it is, the patient's current condition and ability to tolerate treatment have to be considered. In this regard, Liu Yiqing also did an excellent job.

Due to the patient's current situation, he couldn't register directly, so Liu Banxia used his authority to process his admission, planning to have the bill settled when his wife arrived.

Although he was brought in by an ambulance, his current condition was not deemed urgent enough for prioritized treatment. Prioritized treatment can't be used indiscriminately; otherwise, the hospital would descend into chaos.

"Dr. Liu, Dr. Liu, do you have a moment right now?" Xu Yino rushed over at that moment.

"What's up? Is there a new development?" Liu Banxia queried.

Xu Yino nodded. "I spoke with the patient and persuaded her to undergo a comprehensive examination of her ovaries. I also told her you are very capable and that she should seek justice for herself."

"What on earth is all this?" Liu Banxia said, both amused and confused.

"Oh, Teacher Liu, she was also deceived! She genuinely didn't know there would be such huge risks following egg retrieval. The other party only told her there might be some inflammation and that it could be managed with medication or IV drips," Xu Yino explained.

"It was only because of this incident that she realized how dangerous it could be. Can't you help her bring the wrongdoers to justice? You're very capable, after all."

Liu Banxia rubbed his face. Seeing Xu Yino's pitiful expression, he didn't know what to say. I'm a doctor. No matter how capable I am, I'm not the one responsible for these matters. That's the job of the police; it has nothing to do with me.

Just as he was about to speak, Xu Yino sneakily drifted away. Then, the phone into which he had swapped his SIM card back also rang.

After opening it and glancing at the message, Liu Banxia eyed Xu Yino, whose expression instantly switched to one of appeasement.

"Come over here. What, am I going to hit you or something? Learned to call for reinforcements, have you?" Liu Banxia sighed helplessly.

The message was from Qiaoqiao. Gentle in tone but firm in content, it simply read, "Must help." Qiaoqiao's word is law. Since his direct "supervisor" had spoken, and he himself was also very annoyed by such illegal activities, he decided he could indeed help.

"Teacher Liu, you're not angry, are you? Can I treat you to lunch later?" Xu Yino asked tentatively.

"That works, but we need to plan this carefully. We'll have to talk to the patient properly. For now, take her for her examination. We'll talk later," Liu Banxia instructed.

Xu Yino nodded and happily ran upstairs again.

Just then, Liu Yiqing called out, "Teacher Liu, come quick! The patient is experiencing airway obstruction!"