CHAPTER 454: A TYPE OF DISEASE THAT HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED 454

"Officer, the examination results are right here. If you still disagree, we can do a third test. But would that really change the result? We’ve already done it twice. What good will making more fuss do?" the traffic cop asked.

"You’re just bullying people! Are you trying to make me a scapegoat?" the patient exclaimed, agitated.

"What are you getting so worked up about? What on earth did you do?"

At that moment, the patient’s wife rushed over and clung to his arm.

"You’re his wife, correct? We’ve performed two tests. You can also smell the alcohol on him. Yet, even now, he denies it," the traffic cop said, turning to the patient’s wife.

The patient’s wife, startled, slapped his arm. "Why were you sneaking drinks? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"I didn’t drink anything! They’re framing me! When have you ever seen me drink at home? The only time I drink is during my New Year break from driving. I don’t even like alcohol, why would I drink it?" the patient retorted, equally anxious.

"Well, did you eat something unusual? Don’t TV shows sometimes talk about people eating certain things and then testing positive for alcohol? Officer, he doesn’t drink at home. He must have eaten something that interfered with the test. Can we test him again later?" the patient’s wife pleaded.

"It’s been quite a while now. Besides, we didn’t just do a breathalyzer test; we did blood and urine tests," the traffic cop said with a wry smile.

Alcohol had already entered his bloodstream at such a high concentration. It couldn’t possibly be from something he ate.

"Wait a moment."

Just then, Liu Banxia squeezed through the crowd.

"Teacher Liu, we’ve already done two tests, including a urine test this time," Huang Bo reported.

Liu Banxia nodded. "There was no negligence in our hospital’s examination, but I think this gentleman might have some other condition."

After speaking, Liu Banxia pulled up the patient’s sleeve and pointed at a bruise on his arm. "How long ago did you get this bruise?"

The patient shook his head. "I can’t remember. It’s been a while, I think. I don’t even know how I got it."

Liu Banxia then pulled up his pant leg. "And these on your leg? Do you remember getting them?"

The patient nodded. "I notice them sometimes. They’re probably from bumping into things while loading and unloading the truck."

"Does he usually not drink at home?" Liu Banxia asked the patient’s wife.

"He used to. But ever since his friend, Old Xia, died in a drunk driving accident, he hasn’t touched a drop. That was over ten years ago. Doctor, he really doesn’t drink at home. The wine his daughter buys is only opened at New Year. Could there be a mistake in the test?" the patient’s wife asked.

Liu Banxia smiled and nodded. "That’s the contradiction. So, we need to investigate carefully. Officer, may I speak with them for a moment?"

The traffic cop glanced at him and nodded.

"Have you had any other illnesses recently?" Liu Banxia then asked the patient.

"I caught a cold not too long ago. I stayed home for a few days, took some cold medicine and antibiotics, and got better," the patient said.

"A few days? More like ten! You took a lot of medication," the patient’s wife interjected.

"Do you remember what medication you took?" Liu Banxia continued.

"I took Contac, but it didn’t seem to work, so I switched to Compound Paracetamol and Amantadine Hydrochloride Tablets. I also took Azithromycin, and... what was that other one? A cephalosporin, something like that. Anyway, it was a cephalosporin," the patient said.

"Huang Bo, perform a stool analysis on the patient. Focus on detecting brewer’s yeast. If it’s present, determine its sensitivities," Liu Banxia instructed.

"Brewer’s yeast? Ah... Teacher Liu, is it Auto-Brewery Syndrome? Does such a condition really exist?" Huang Bo asked, somewhat unsettled.

"It’s not clear yet, so let’s test first. This condition hasn’t been officially documented, but cases have been found worldwide," Liu Banxia replied.

"Have you been eating more starchy foods or sweets lately? Did you have any today?" Liu Banxia asked the patient again.

"I don’t eat much of that at home, but today the cargo was a bit scattered. Eating a proper meal would have taken too much time, so I just bought some bread and a drink and ate in the truck," the patient answered.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Let’s do the test first. And this condition is just a suspicion of mine for now. We need time to verify it."

"Doctor, is this a disease?" the traffic cop asked curiously.

"We still need to perform tests. There have been some such cases abroad, but they’re rare in our country," Liu Banxia said.

"What we can do now is examine his stool to see if the levels of brewer’s yeast are abnormally high. Brewer’s yeast is a general term for a class of yeasts, and there are many types."

"Our intestines also contain many beneficial fungi that help maintain gut health and break down food. However, in certain situations, such as the heavy use of antibiotics, the gut microbiota can be easily disrupted."

"We have another patient upstairs in the ward who developed a *Clostridium difficile* infection from long-term antibiotic use. Currently, we can only manage it; it’s untreatable and can relapse at any time."

"This is one aspect of medical testing. Another approach would be to control this gentleman’s diet and monitor him for twenty-four hours."

"If his blood alcohol content remains high even when he’s only given starchy foods, then, whether we like it or not, we must acknowledge that he has this peculiar condition."

Hearing this, the traffic cop nodded. Even if he didn’t understand terms like "brewer’s yeast" or "*Clostridium difficile*," the latter testing method seemed straightforward enough to implement.

"Doctor, does this mean I can prove I didn’t drink?" the patient asked excitedly.

"Don’t get too excited just yet. If you really have this condition, it could be life-threatening," Liu Banxia said.

"The alcohol in your body needs to be broken down by the liver and expelled. If you truly have this condition, it’s as if your body is constantly marinating in alcohol."

"Think about it: no matter how robust a person is, can their liver continuously work to break down alcohol? I’m afraid it wouldn’t be long before you develop liver failure, which would be life-threatening."

Hearing Liu Banxia’s words, the patient’s expression froze.

Yes, that’s the crux of it.

It wasn’t just him; even the onlookers couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

Liu Banxia’s explanation was straightforward and easy to grasp. Even without understanding all the details, one could get the general picture.

Some bystanders were even envious, thinking that with such a condition, one could have a few drinks and drive without issue. If the police stopped them, they could just say their body naturally produces alcohol—no problem at all. At worst, they’d be tested, eat a meal, and in time, alcohol would show up.

But when such a condition could be life-threatening, no one found it appealing anymore. Life always comes first; one’s own skin is most important.

"Go on, get thoroughly checked out," Liu Banxia said.

Hearing him, the patient looked at Huang Bo with a strong, pleading desire to be tested.

"Teacher Liu, how did you think of that?" Su Wenhao asked curiously after the patient had left.

"At first, I also thought the bruises on his body were from accidental bumps when he might have been drinking. However, he reacted so strongly when faced with the results. Plus, he wasn’t speaking incoherently like an intoxicated patient, so I paid closer attention," Liu Banxia said.

"If this is confirmed, it’s another illness caused by antibiotic use. These drugs are easily available at pharmacies, and people tend to take them for any headache or fever. Whether they work or not, taking them at least offers some peace of mind."

"Everyone, please note: it’s not that doctors are trying to trick you into coming to the hospital for tests just to make money. Sometimes, medication truly shouldn’t be taken indiscriminately. Even many antibiotics aren’t broad-spectrum; they’re only effective against specific types of bacteria."

"Basically, if you’ve been sick at home for more than five or seven days and self-medicating hasn’t helped, don’t overthink it—come to the hospital."

"Actually, five days is already quite long; three days is usually enough. However, it’s a common habit to fear being overcharged at hospitals, so people tend to delay, thinking, ’What if I get better in a day or two?’ So, telling you to come to the hospital after just three days isn’t realistic."

"You can treat today’s incident with this gentleman as a bit of a spectacle, but you should also take it to heart. This happened to him, but next time, it could happen to one of us."

"If you pay closer attention, the medications prescribed by the hospital are often very common ones. These are usually sufficient to treat patients, so there’s no need for stronger, higher-grade ones."

"If you regularly take high-grade antibiotics at home, lower-grade ones will likely have no effect. It’s like getting used to a comfortable lifestyle and then suddenly being thrown into a refugee camp. Could you tolerate such meager fare? It’s not as if you’re trying to learn to appreciate past hardships."

"Dr. Liu, is there anything else we should be aware of?" a patient’s family member asked.

"There are quite a few things. From a wellness perspective, a regular, healthy diet and sleep schedule are actually better than any medicine," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Yet, we doctors often lead by example in undermining this, always struggling to find time for sleep. And food... oh, I still have half a plate left in the cafeteria. Never mind, it’s almost dinnertime anyway."

He had just remembered; he’d been so preoccupied with worrying about that child. No wonder he felt like something was missing—he hadn’t eaten his fill.

"Alright, everyone, please disperse. The hospital has a high concentration of inpatients, which can easily lead to cross-infection. So, please wear masks in the future," Liu Banxia said.

"Honestly, I’d rather not see you all in the hospital. We have enough patients during the day as it is. Fewer people around would at least let me get a bit more sleep or eat a meal in peace."

The crowd chuckled; he was speaking frankly. Many family members had been staying at the hospital for days with their loved ones and knew exactly how busy the staff could get.