The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 787: Should we check or not?

For the interns who started today, the events of just one morning had already made a significant impression.

Although they knew that most of the thank-you gifts doctors received were silk banners, and that if you went to any well-known clinic, the number of such banners wouldn't be small.

However, for them, actually seeing someone personally deliver one was a different experience. After taking the opportunity to sneak a peek into the offices of various departments, their spirits soared with excitement.

The Emergency Center hadn't been established for long, yet the number of silk banners hanging in the department offices was quite substantial. This clearly indicated they had come to the right place; the Emergency Center was very capable.

Then, they witnessed a conversation between Xu Chengjun and Liu Banxia. After asking around, they learned that Xu Chengjun was the Chief Director of Jinshui District Hospital.

Seeing the two of them chatting and laughing so easily, Liu Banxia's stature rose even higher in their minds.

Even if he was 'just' the director of a district hospital, he was a proper director nonetheless. The expressions on their faces were pleasant as they chatted, clearly indicating a very familiar relationship.

Within the medical system, seniority and tradition were highly valued. Furthermore, during the orientation conference the previous day, it seemed the Chief Director of the Second Hospital didn't treat Liu Banxia as an outsider at all, which was also very telling.

Of course, these were just their minor observations. What truly made a big impact on them was the packed surgery schedule.

On it, Xu Yino and her colleagues were even listed as chief surgeons for some operations. Although there were only two such surgeries, for these interns, that was an incredible achievement.

After all, Xu Yino and her group were the trailblazers for these new interns, having already forged the path. What kind of results these new interns could achieve, and whether they could successfully follow this track, depended entirely on them.

This was undeniable and quite transparent here; they had heard many stories about Xu Yino and her group even before they arrived.

"Nice, very cool. You guys have become role models for these interns," Liu Banxia teased over lunch.

"Teacher Liu, to be honest, it's a bit mentally exhausting. Why do I feel like they don't know anything? Were we like this when we first arrived?" Xu Yino asked curiously.

"When you first arrived? You weren't much better than them, actually," Liu Banxia said with a laugh.

"Actually, it's not that they don't know how to handle many procedures; they're just overly nervous. They really want to perform well in front of you but are also worried that if they don't, you'll blacklist them immediately."

"Take it slow. The first couple of months are for tempering patience—not just theirs, but yours too. In terms of procedures, you must proceed step by step; you can't rush it."

Xu Yino nodded. The initial excitement of mentoring had passed. In her view, these were simple little problems, yet they still came to her to ask.

And simple procedures? They took a long time to complete and seemed to utterly exhaust the interns. It was a good thing she was mentoring a small number; she couldn't imagine how she'd cope if she had to lead a large group by herself—she'd probably go crazy.

"Keep up the good work; the future is bright. Just keep at it. Enjoy your meal; I'm going to the front to relieve someone," Liu Banxia said after finishing his soup.

"Teacher Liu, wait a second. How do we train them to perform non-invasive intubation and thoracic intubation?" Xu Yino asked.

"That's for you to judge. In the early stages, just conduct practice assessments with them. When you feel their skills are up to par, you can let them do it on actual patients," Liu Banxia said.

"These two procedures are also within the scope of surgery. In many hospitals, only anesthesiologists can handle them proficiently. It's different here; we've expanded it somewhat, so everyone can master them."

"Sigh... this is so worrying. Later, I'll have to write assessments for them. I just want to quietly see patients and perform surgeries. It's so frustrating," Xu Yino sighed.

"Frustrated already? There will be plenty more to be frustrated about in the future. Keep it up," Liu Banxia said with a laugh, leaving her with that.

Actually, having the six juniors take the lead in mentoring the interns was a bit ahead of schedule; they should ideally be in supporting roles. However, Liu Banxia had high expectations for them and also wanted to add more pressure on them.

"Brother Wei, you guys go eat. I'll watch things here. Boss Shi, Xu Yino, and the others should be back soon," Liu Banxia said upon returning to the Emergency Center.

"Not yet. We just admitted an emergency patient and sent her for a CT scan," Wei Yuan said.

"A very young woman, blunt trauma to the chest and abdomen. There's fluid in the abdominal cavity and bleeding in the thoracic cavity; intubation was done. Let's see what the CT shows. There seems to be an issue with her spleen."

"Her injuries aren't light. Was she hit by a car?" Liu Banxia asked.

Wei Yuan shook his head. "Her boyfriend beat her. They had an argument this morning, and he beat her unconscious. Later, her friend noticed she hadn't gone to work and couldn't reach her by phone, so the friend went to her rented apartment."

"I'm really worried about her spleen right now. It looks like there's no active bleeding at the moment. We'll have to see how extensive the damage is; it's quite troubling. Her friend said she's a very decent young woman, just unlucky in her choice of men."

"Did they report it to the police?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.

"They wanted to, but the young woman won't allow it. She said if they report it, things might become even more endless later on," Wei Yuan said.

"I really don't get it. What kind of world is this nowadays? How about when the patient comes back, you try to persuade her? You should be quite good at that sort of thing."

Liu Banxia rolled his eyes. "What am I supposed to do? When emotional disputes are involved, it's never that easy. Right now, she's beaten black and blue. What if the other party says a few sweet words, and they're back together like nothing happened? What would that make me?

"Besides, even if it's reported and the person is arrested, what if compensation is paid, and they reconcile? Then the man holds a grudge, and who knows when he might show up again and cause trouble? What then?"

"You're the chief resident. That's an out-of-hospital matter; this is an in-hospital matter. The young woman was probably terrified, so she lost her bearings for a moment," Wei Yuan said.

"I really don't know what to say. Must you drag me into this muddy water?" Liu Banxia asked with a wry smile.

Wei Yuan nodded. "It's just that the young woman was beaten so terribly; it moved one to pity. Hmm... Liu Yiqing is attending to the patient now. Anyway, you figure out what to do."

"I really regret it. I should have eaten a bit longer in the cafeteria," Liu Banxia said.

He knew Liu Yiqing very well. That young woman always had an extraordinary concern for victims of violent assault. Now that she was attending to the patient, even if Wei Yuan hadn't mentioned it, she would have pestered him about it.

"Sigh... the main problem is that the boundaries of this matter are somewhat vague. Legally, the standards for injury have different definitions and sentencing criteria. It's difficult to handle," Liu Banxia sighed.

"That's why we must uphold justice," Wei Yuan said.

"Oh, come on. Of the patients we admit, how many need us to uphold justice? We genuinely can't manage it for all of them. We might even end up with complaints if we're not careful," Liu Banxia said.

"Let's assess the patient's injuries first, and then try to gauge her intentions. Don't make things difficult for me. If she has any inclination, I'll find someone to help her sort it out."

"Haha, that's the sentence I was waiting for! I know you have connections with both the municipal and district bureaus," Wei Yuan said cheerfully.

"Actually, I might have been somewhat influenced by Liu Yiqing. Seeing that poor young woman, I also feel quite sorry for her. Anyway, I'm entrusting this matter to you. Just do your best."

"That's normal; everyone has a heart. The feelings evoked in us by injuries from a car accident versus those from an assault are different, even for us doctors."

"Alright, they're back. The images probably aren't printed yet; let's pull them up on the computer and take a look first. The chest cavity is okay, right?"

Wei Yuan nodded. "The bleeding wasn't much; drainage will suffice. The main concern is the spleen. Look, would you say this qualifies as a grade three laceration? The capsule is intact, though." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Liu Banxia leaned closer to the screen, scrutinizing it carefully. "It seems conservative treatment for the spleen might be enough. Let's look at the head scans again. Wait... Look around the aorta near the fourth lumbar vertebra. Are those some abnormal fibrous strands? It's not very clear."

Wei Yuan also frowned. "It does seem so. So, what now? Do we need to perform laparoscopic exploration? Could the aorta have been injured during the assault?"

"With these kinds of assault injuries, some damage can have a delayed effect. She was unconscious initially, and the body would have entered a state of instinctive self-repair and protection. Now that she's awake and her blood pressure has risen, some bleeding points that should have healed might start bleeding again."

Liu Banxia was also troubled. Based on the current CT scan, there were no clear indications for a laparoscopic exploration.

The primary issue was the spleen injury: the wound wasn't large, the capsule was intact, and the bleeding was controlled. The optimal treatment was conservative management.

However, this area of the aorta had now caught his attention, and it was difficult to simply ignore it.

"Teacher Liu, the spleen injury isn't very serious. But Teacher Wu said we should monitor the patient closely; the aorta might have a dissection or damage. It's not very clear," Liu Yiqing said.

"Brother Wei and I noticed it too. We're currently discussing whether to perform a laparoscopic exploration. How's the head CT?" Liu Banxia asked.

"The head CT is completely normal. No fluid accumulation or hemorrhage was found," Liu Yiqing reported.

"Should we observe or directly proceed to the laparoscopic exploration?" Wei Yuan asked.

"Doctor, is it serious?" the patient's friend asked.

Liu Banxia nodded. "From the current examinations, the spleen has a laceration, but its capsule is intact. The aorta in this area might have some damage. Only through a laparoscopic exploration can we ascertain the condition of the spleen and this section of the aorta."

"Then... how much would it cost?" the patient's friend asked hesitantly.

"It is somewhat related to cost, but more importantly, this doesn't fall under emergency surgery criteria, so we need either her or her family to sign a consent form," Liu Banxia said.

To explore or not to explore—both paths had their medical rationale. Money was also a factor. This already complicated situation had just become even more complex.