Chapter 45 (1/2)

Chapter 45: Lightning Speed

Old Chief Physician Pan was in the zone, hands gripping the hemostatic forceps as he searched for the shriveled, pale vein.

Thinking back to the war, he was reminded of the many comrades who had suffered hemorrhagic shock. A femoral vein catheterization had been his bread and b.u.t.ter back in the day.

His eyesight was a bit blurry and he could not clearly make out the tissue structure beneath the skin. Perhaps it was old age catching up, but if he did not operate, who would? Youngsters these days very rarely had experience with such invasive methods. His familiarity was built on the lives of others. Where would these rash youngsters find that many patients with hemorrhagic shock to practice on?

Five minutes later, Old Chief Physician Pan finally found the femoral vein and successfully established a catheter access. A bottle of glucose and methylene blue solution was hung on the intravenous stand. He let out a long exhale as the liquid dripped.

Although he was slower than before, finding the femoral vein within five minutes—while not a perfect score—was a pa.s.s. He was satisfied with himself; he was still up to it.

Straightening his back, Old Chief Physician Pan could almost hear the cracking of his vertebrae.

One still had to accept his age. Old Chief Physician Pan gave a bitter smile and suddenly realized Zheng Ren was nowhere to be seen.

This chief resident that he wanted had put on a stellar performance, the current patient’s diagnosis being one of many already.

Nitrite poisoning was something most people would go about their lives never witnessing. In his younger days, Old Chief Physician Pan had only come across one case and had had to flip through the books for the treatment. Unfortunately, the patient’s illness was too severe and they pa.s.sed away before methylene blue could be obtained.

The many surgeries before, plus this correct emergency diagnosis and treatment, was proof of Zheng Ren’s abilities!

Where was he, though?

Old Chief Physician Pan looked around. What he saw made him gasp in surprise.

There were twelve beds lined behind him; seven or eight patients had been s.h.i.+fted into a special position. Some patients with central venous line access had been lifted onto stretcher trolleys and moved into the observation room.

Zheng Ren was hunched over, concentrating fully on central venous catheterization.

Old Chief Physician Pan sighed. Youngsters truly had quick eyes and deft hands.

A moment pa.s.sed and he realized Zheng Ren was not only quick, he was lightning fast.

Somewhere along the line, Xie Yiren had joined the fray. She quietly stood beside Zheng Ren and a.s.sisted him. Between opening the catheterization kit, disinfection, puncturing, st.i.tching and stabilization…the whole process took around 30 seconds?

Old Chief Physician Pan thought he might even have overestimated the time.

As Zheng Ren was st.i.tching and fastening the catheter, Xie Yiren was already preparing the next patient.

This was way too fast.

Other than Xie Yiren, Zheng Ren had about twenty medical personnel around him.

Some were moving patients from one of the 120 ambulances onto emergency beds.

Some were hastily preparing the glucose and methylene blue mixture solutions.

Some were attaching intravenous bottles to catheters and hanging them onto intravenous stands, their drip rate set to maximum.

Some followed Zheng Ren to secure the catheter with dressing once the st.i.tching was complete.

Some delivered the patients that already had subclavian vein catheters to the observation room next door.

The whole operation was smooth and orderly like the flow of a river. In the time that Old Chief Physician Pan had taken to complete a femoral vein central venous access, Zheng Ren had accomplished more than ten subclavian vein catheterizations.

‘Haih, I am old,’ Old Chief Physician Pan thought to himself. He was a bit sad but grateful.

The future belonged to the young. He would contribute in whatever way he could.

“What is the stock level for methylene blue? And the central venous catheterization kits?” he asked.

“We’re running out,” the matron answered with dread in her voice. The sirens of the 120 ambulances melded into one. There were still the patients with minor poisoning or those who needed urgent medical attention but opted to come to the hospital in a private vehicle instead of waiting for an ambulance.

It was total chaos outside the emergency rescue room as more and more patients flocked to the hospital. Sea City General Hospital was the best medical care facility in the city. When something was not right with their family, the first thing most people would do was to bring them over to Sea City General Hospital for a check-up.