Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Tell me if it’s painful.” Ling Ran provided abdominal palpation to a patient.
Compared to technology such as B-scans, old-fashioned palpation could still provide a lot of information. It was hence still widely used in body check-ups.
Of course, X-rays, palpation, and other techniques did not share an either-or relationship. Most of the time, the doctors were the ones who chose to use those techniques.
Ling Ran now had Master Level Physical Examination Skills. His accuracy in diagnosing through performing abdominal palpation was even higher than doing a B-Scan. In that case, he did not need to hog the facilities.
The patient was lying on the examination table. He was happily looking at Ling Ran as he said, “It doesn’t hurt. How can it possibly hurt?”
“If you feel any pain, don’t endure it. You have to tell us whether it is a sharp pain, a bloating pain, or any other pain.” Yu Yuan who was at the side of the examination table stood on top of a small stool and reminded the patient for the nth time.
The patient gave a disdainful glance at her as he snorted through his nose and looked again at Ling Ran.
“Is it painful over here?” Ling Ran had his own understanding of performing physical examinations now. The method and steps that he adopted were slightly different than before.
The patient only inhaled deeply and said after Ling Ran reminded him, “It’s not that painful.”
“You have to tell me even if there is only a bit of pain. Do you feel any pain after meals?”
“Sometimes.”
“Is it one or two hours after your meal?”
“Yes. How did you guess it? Doctor Ling, you’re so impressive…”
“Stomach ulcer.” Ling Ran did not wait for him to finish. He interrupted him and said, “I will fill up a form for you to take two other examinations. Go and get a definite diagnosis. Your stomach ulcer is not that serious at the moment, but we should use some methods to treat it.”
At this moment, the man who was lying on the examination table was stunned, he quickly said, “I work out three to four times a week, how can I fall sick?”
Ling Ran glanced at him in puzzlement and asked, “Why can’t you get sick if you work out?”
“Well working out… working out is good for the body.”
“When it’s time to fall sick, you will still fall sick.” Ling Ran filled up the form and reminded him. “Being anxious, fatigue, improper food intake, change in weather, or even smoking and drinking would trigger and cause serious stomach ulcers. You need to pay more attention and not underestimate it.”
Yu Yuan added. “If we don’t treat it well, it will be troublesome once the stomach ulcer bleeds or perforates. We may even need to remove your stomach. Also, there may be a risk that it will turn into a malignant tumor.”
“Cancer?” The man who was receiving the checkup yelled in surprise.
“There’s no cancer at the moment. But there is a risk,” Yu Yuan said, “This is to make you take care of your stomach ulcer. If you take care of it well, there will be no problem, understand?”
The man asked with great unease, “Will I really get cancer?”
“There is a risk for stomach ulcers to experience field cancerization, but the probability is low. It is generally below 3%.” Ling Ran had enough Energy Serums and always took them when he studied. He had read quite extensively on internal medicine, so he could remember the content that should be remembered.
“I can’t afford to have a three out of a hundred chance… ” The man was not at all consoled. He gloomily jumped down from the examination table and asked, “What should I do now?”
“I recommend you to consult a gastroenterologist.” Ling Ran referred him to another doctor.
He could actually prescribe medication for stomach ulcer patients, but he was, after all, not a specialist. Also, a urea breath test might be needed to confirm whether a person had a stomach ulcer or some other related disease. They might even need to receive an esophagogastroduodenoscopy. If that were the case, then it was not something that the current volunteer medical consultation can do.
Making referrals was something that the Emergency Department always did, but it was a bit more troublesome now.
Ling Ran passed the form to the patient and asked Yu Yuan to do the explanation. The young nurse at the side, Wang Jia, did not wait for any directions; she had already invited the next patient to come forward.
Ling Ran did the same thing as he did for the previous patients. When he performed a physical examination, he asked questions and provide a basic judgment.
Ling Ran’s diagnostic skills were not high, and his experience in providing consultation was close to zero, but it was more than enough for him to perform consultation in a community hospital like this.
They were not like the patients who came to Yun Hua Hospital. They usually had serious illnesses, and hence would need to be treated carefully and prudently. The consultation in Bazhaixiang itself was just physical examinations, and most of the patients were normal healthy people who had some illnesses which were not serious, and most of those illnesses were common.
Up to the current stage of modern medicine development, difficult and complicated disease remained difficult and complicated, and no matter how many inspection methods there were, they were just there to provide assistance to the doctors. Highly regarded evidence-based medicine even stood on the opposite side of difficult and complicated diseases.
Today’s doctors, in fact, loved dealing with those common diseases that had already been identified. This was similar to people first thinking about horses when they hear the sound of hooves, not zebras.
For Ling Ran, his skills in identifying horses were gradually maturing.
“Doctor Ling.” Wang Haiyang, a chief physician from the Hand Surgery Department, shouted and called Ling Ran to go over.
“This finger…” Ling Ran saw a finger that obviously had its bone reconnected badly.
“Would you like to perform the operation?” Wang Haiyang pointed at Ling Ran and said, “Doctor Ling is the best doctor in Yun Hua Hospital in finger replantations. We can replant your finger again, and you won’t feel pain every day anymore.”
The youngster who came for a consultation immediately took his hand back as if he was burnt and asked, “How much would it cost?”
“Do you have medical insurance?”
“I have those that I pay 120 RMB a year.”
Wang Haiyang nodded. “Undergoing the whole surgery would take about 10,000 RMB.”
“Then let me think about it.” The patent did not dare to continue the conversation. He stood up and left with uncertainty.
Wang Haiyang smiled wanly and in resignation. “I thought we could perform surgery after providing so many consultations.”
Wang Haiyang can only shrug his shoulders at Ling Ran and continue to see the next patient.
They were all specialist doctors, but those details were no longer important in this kind of volunteer medical consultation.
Also, the people who came forward for consultations did not care.
The Chinese had a different manner of thinking compared to the foreigners, who would think that specialists were more high-class doctors. The Chinese generally believed that a specialist-level doctor should have comprehensive knowledge. At the very least, a capable cardiologist should be able to easily treat a stomach ulcer or something…
This was somewhat influenced by Chinese medicine, and this was both convenient and inconvenient for old doctors. It was also true for Ling Ran.
After completing the physical examinations for most of the young people, there were fewer people waiting in line in front of Ling Ran.
Ling Ran finally did not have to sit at the table all the time. He went back and forth, and while he moved about, he helped other doctors deal with patients with milder symptoms. In two hours, he had encountered seven to eight people who had corns or paronychia.
If they were in Yun Hua Hospital, this kind of minor illness that only required minor surgery would be handed to resident doctors and even interns for practice. There was really nothing much to be done, after all, they were the simplest surgeries to begin with.
Ling Ran today did not seem to have the intention to let go of any. If there were any patients with mild illnesses who could be treated on the spot, he would get it done.
Several doctors who came to the volunteer medical consultation also nodded in approval as they watched.
Among the surgeons present, Ling Ran was the youngest in the group, and him taking the initiative to help make the other doctors had much better feelings toward him.
“When I watch him now, Ling Ran is still quite sensible.” When Department Director Hong from the Respiratory Medicine Department saw Ling Ran going into another cubicle to work, he opened his third pack of cigarettes today and lit it while he laughed and spoke.
“That’s true. He did not complain, and still performs very well.” An assistant lecturer from the General Surgery Department also praised him and nodded in agreement.
“The main point is still the patients’ feelings. Ling Ran is still very serious when treating a patient.” Wang Haiyang, who was the most familiar with Ling Ran, said while he grinned.
“That’s true.”
“He’s still young. If he were older, he’d get at least a few banners.”
When Department Director Hong just finished speaking, a banner was seen coming in from the door.
The banner was written with the words “An ethical doctor who treats the wounded and sick”. There were small words next to it, which said, “a gift to Ling Ran”.
“Is Doctor Ling here? I’m here to give him a banner.” The Water Monster Wang Huatao came in through the door full of confidence. When he stood in Bazhaixiang, he felt that he had limitless energy. He was bold and straightforward even when sending a gift.
