After finishing another debridement, Wu Ting returned to the break room. There, he saw Luo Ming looking troubled as he reviewed a patient's file.
"Dr. Luo, which patient has you so stumped?"
Seeing it was Wu Ting, Luo Ming gave a wry smile and explained:
"It's that patient we admitted a while ago. She's developed a fever with no obvious cause, a headache, aching limbs, fatigue, excessive sweating, and a mild sore throat..."
Luo Ming handed the file to Wu Ting as he spoke.
Wu Ting looked at the medical records and recalled this rather unusual patient.
The patient is 34 years old. Before coming to the City First Hospital's emergency room, she had been taking cold medicine on her own, but her condition fluctuated.
On the day she was admitted, the patient felt chills but had no rigors. The fever was accompanied by a headache, which subsided after the fever broke. She had no abdominal pain, diarrhea, coughing, or phlegm.
Based on the test results, Luo Ming initially prescribed antibiotics and symptomatic treatment. However, several days had passed with no significant improvement; she still had fevers, headaches, and joint pain.
Luo Ming had also consulted with other doctors to discuss the patient's condition, but they couldn't find the cause.
The internal medicine team suggested it might be a hematological disease, and the surgery team performed a lymph node biopsy, but both possibilities were ruled out.
"Dr. Luo, how about we go check on the patient again?"
Previously, with his level of experience and skill, Wu Ting wouldn't have had any ideas, nor would he have suggested another examination. But now, with the Diagnosis Skill (Purple), he was eager to give it a try.
Hearing Wu Ting's suggestion, Luo Ming sighed and thought for a moment. "Alright, let's go check on her again."
Soon, the two of them arrived at the patient's room.
When she saw Luo Ming and Wu Ting enter, Zhang Li, who was lying in bed, propped herself up. She looked completely exhausted, and her eyes were filled with anxiety.
"Zhang Li, how are you feeling today?"
"Dr. Luo, I feel the same. The treatment isn't working at all. I had a fever again last night, and my joints still hurt..."
Zhang Li described her condition dejectedly, her voice cracking as she spoke:
"Doctor, I don't have some kind of terminal illness, do I?"
Luo Ming immediately tried to reassure her. "Zhang Li, even though we haven't found the cause yet, your condition isn't considered severe. Director Huo is doing his grand rounds tomorrow morning. We'll have him take a good look at you then."
"For now, we'll continue with broad-spectrum antibiotics for the infection and Chinese medicine to manage the fever."
After hearing Luo Ming's plan, Zhang Li could only nod helplessly, anxiously waiting for Director Huo's grand rounds the next day, hoping he could properly diagnose her.
After checking on Zhang Li, Luo Ming moved on to the next patient.
Wu Ting, however, stayed behind.
While Luo Ming and Zhang Li were talking, Wu Ting had been constantly observing and listening, while also reviewing the patient's extensive medical records.
Clearly, the patient's case was a difficult and complicated one.
'Excessive sweating, joint pain, hepatosplenomegaly.'
Wu Ting began analyzing the information in his mind. Based on what he knew, the patient's most prominent symptom was excessive sweating, which was a significant deviation from common febrile diseases.
Aided by the 'Diligent Workhorse (Yellow)' skill and drawing on Luo Ming's case experience, Wu Ting also considered the patient's identity: a housewife from a rural area.
Under the influence of his Diagnosis Skill (Purple), a thought suddenly flashed through Wu Ting's mind.
'Could it be?'
Wu Ting frowned slightly. He wasn't sure yet, but after a moment of thought, he asked Zhang Li:
"Zhang Li, every time your fever breaks suddenly, are you drenched in sweat and left feeling completely weak and exhausted?"
Zhang Li didn't pay much mind to Wu Ting's question, but she thought for a moment and said:
"Yes, young doctor. Every time the fever goes down, I'm covered in sweat, and I feel incredibly weak."
Looking at Zhang Li's pale face, Wu Ting continued his questioning:
"Do you raise any livestock at home? Specifically sheep, cattle, or pigs?"
"We do. I raise a pig at home, but no sheep or cattle. However, about two weeks ago, I did help my neighbor deliver a lamb."
Hearing this, Wu Ting felt he was onto something:
"Alright, I'll have Dr. Luo order a blood antibody test for you."
Although Wu Ting was young, at this point, the patient was willing to try anything that might help her condition, treating it as a last-ditch effort.
"Okay, okay, thank you, Dr. Wu."
Nearby, Luo Ming had just about finished with the next patient, and Wu Ting hurried over to him.
"Dr. Luo, I suspect the patient might have a type of Gram-negative bacterial infection. We should run a blood antibody test."
Dr. Luo wasn't entirely convinced by Wu Ting's suggestion, but it was a new line of inquiry.
"Fine, we'll give it a shot. But don't get your hopes up."
Luo Ming sighed. "We'll still have to wait for Director Huo to take a look at Zhang Li during his grand rounds tomorrow."
...
...
Early the next morning, every doctor in the emergency department was on edge, walking on eggshells.
Today was the day of Director Huo Yun's grand rounds.
It wasn't just the residents, who were at a critical point in their training; even the senior residents and attending physicians were on edge.
The attending physicians were followed by the residents, with the junior residents of the lowest rank bringing up the rear.
Like a lineage of disciples, they awaited Huo Yun's arrival.
In the emergency department, Huo Yun's word was law. He was known for his tough, strict demeanor and would chew people out without mercy.
Even if a deputy director made a mistake, he would be reamed out without mercy.
Of course, Huo Yun's prestige was built on his solid abilities.
At City First Hospital, Huo Yun was deeply experienced and highly capable, and he was considered a top expert in the province.
He was particularly renowned for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions, including benign and malignant tumors of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen; retroperitoneal tumors; portal hypertension; intra- and extrahepatic bile duct stones; and acute and chronic pancreatitis. He also specialized in managing abdominal trauma, particularly injuries to the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen, and performed liver and pancreas transplants.
Furthermore, he had led multiple national and provincial-level research projects and published over 60 SCI papers.
As a key member of his team, he had won a First-Class National Science and Technology Progress Award and a National Innovation Team Award.
He served as the president or vice president of several medical associations in Jin Province and was also an editor and deputy editor-in-chief for multiple domestic medical journals.
He was an expert who received a special allowance from the Jin Province government and was recognized as one of Jin Province's high-level talents...
His character was upright and his methods were firm and direct. Backed by his formidable abilities, even the hospital leadership regarded him with a healthy dose of respect and fear.
Upon seeing Huo Yun enter the ward, Qin Donglai and his other trusted confidants went up to greet him.
As for Luo Ming, Wu Ting, and the others, they could only follow respectfully at the very back.
Huo Yun would proceed bed by bed, and the physician in charge of each patient had to be prepared to be questioned at any moment.
Huo Yun had two purposes: one was to check on the patients, and the other was to test the doctors under him.
For each patient and their attending physician, he would pose a series of sharp questions.