CHAPTER 74: 074 "SCARING" PATIENTS

Today, not only did others find Liu Banxia exceptionally spirited, but he himself felt incredibly energetic. It felt like a pauper who’d suddenly struck it rich; just the thought made him happy.

"Oh, I’m on shift with Dr. Zhang again today, what a treat!" Liu Banxia was genuinely thrilled when he returned to the emergency department and saw Zhang Yun on duty.

"Get to work as soon as you return. There are quite a few trauma patients today," said Zhang Yun.

Liu Banxia glanced around and saw Qi Wentai busy in Treatment Room Two. Without a second thought, he headed straight into Treatment Room One. To his surprise, Liang Xiaolin was still in the emergency department.

"Are you planning to become a permanent fixture in the emergency department?" Liu Banxia asked after the patient had left.

"I need the practice. Director Li said I can only return to the operating theater when I’ve overcome my difficulties. He mentioned there are plenty of opportunities to observe surgeries, but right now, my top priority is to improve my hand speed," Liang Xiaolin answered.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Exactly. Cardiovascular surgery often involves intricate vascular suturing and ventricular repair. Even the slightest slowness is unacceptable."

"Don’t worry, these aren’t insurmountable problems," Liu Banxia said reassuringly. "I’ll figure out a way to help you overcome them. Otherwise, we’d be letting a good doctor go to waste."

Liu Banxia’s words were sincere, but to Liang Xiaolin, they sounded like teasing.

Just then, a male patient walked in, his left hand injured and covered with tissue paper.

"How did this happen?" Liu Banxia asked, putting on gloves and removing the tissue.

"My dog bit me while we were playing. It’s never bitten anyone before," the patient explained.

"Let me take a look. Have you had a rabies vaccine within the last year?" Liu Banxia asked after a careful examination.

The wound on the back of the patient’s hand was nearly two centimeters long and 0.1 centimeters deep, likely caused when the patient pulled his hand away during the bite.

"No, I’ve had my dog for many years, and it’s never been a problem. Does it even need stitches?" the patient asked nonchalantly.

"Don’t take this lightly," Liu Banxia advised. "Even domesticated dogs can carry the rabies virus. This is already considered a Level 3 exposure. We need to thoroughly disinfect the wound, and then we’ll need to squeeze some blood out."

"Why do you need to squeeze out blood?" The patient frowned.

"It’s best to treat animal bites this way for your own safety. If the dog is indeed carrying the rabies virus, squeezing out some blood can help reduce the risk of the virus entering your bloodstream," Liu Banxia patiently explained.

"Well, go ahead and squeeze it then. But I’m not getting the rabies vaccine; that’s just a scare tactic. Lots of people I know have been scratched or bitten by cats and dogs. I was bitten when I was a kid, and I’m perfectly fine," the patient said dismissively.

"You can’t be so dismissive," Liu Banxia pleaded earnestly. "It’s like playing the lottery; you never know when your number will come up. And with current medical science, rabies is incurable once symptoms appear."

"Also, I suggest you keep the wound exposed for a while. Let it bleed a bit more before we treat it further."

Dealing with such patients was actually one of a doctor’s biggest headaches. Many people owned pets nowadays, and the chances of getting scratched or bitten while playing with them were quite high. One could never tell which incident might lead to an infection. However, from the patient’s perspective, it was their own pet, so they assumed it was clean—unlike stray animals, which they considered the ones that were "mad."

All Liu Banxia could do was explain; he couldn’t exactly force the patient to get a rabies vaccine.

Although Liu Banxia’s touch was gentle, squeezing the wound was still painful. After expressing the wound, Liu Banxia began cleaning it thoroughly with iodophor.

"Two days ago, I treated a patient who got pricked by a shrimp’s rostrum while eating," Liu Banxia shared. "It barely broke the skin and didn’t even bleed. However, by the time he came to the hospital, he had developed a necrotizing fasciitis infection. We spent nearly three hours debriding the wound to save his finger."

"It’s all a matter of probability; such cases are often reported in the news. Some patients only had their wounds licked by a dog, while others merely had a superficial scratch that didn’t bleed, yet they still contracted rabies."

"Doctor, are you trying to scare me or what?" the patient asked, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"Why would I scare you?" Liu Banxia said, shaking his head. "If I told you to get an X-ray for your hand, *that* would be trying to fool you. But the rabies vaccine? That’s no joke."

"Are you worried about the cost? Or are you afraid of the pain from the injection? It’s true that some people experience reactions after the vaccine; they might not be able to lift their arm, and their whole body might ache."

"Trust me. Once we’re done cleaning your wound, use your phone to search for what patients with rabies go through. Frankly, if it were me, I’d rather die instantly than endure that kind of suffering."

"Have you been feeling unusually thirsty? Pay attention to that over the next few days. Also, if you feel fatigued, weak, or experience muscle tightness, make sure to come to the hospital for a check-up."

DING! Experience gained: 10 points. Skill proficiency in Diagnostics: 30 points.

Hearing Liu Banxia speak so gravely, the patient genuinely began to hesitate.

"Our treatment isn’t compulsory," Liu Banxia continued. "However, if you decide to get the vaccine, you need to act quickly. The sooner you get it, the more effective it will be."

"We’ll give you an anti-serum injection first. For the vaccine series itself, you can go directly to the disease prevention and control center. After the wound is properly treated, it needs to be left exposed because the rabies virus is anaerobic and thrives in environments without oxygen."

The patient glanced at the wound on the back of his hand and nodded. However, his expression remained conflicted; Liu Banxia’s words had clearly unnerved him.

"Would you call that intimidating the patient?" Liang Xiaolin asked.

"What else can I do?" Liu Banxia replied helplessly. "What if? What if this is the time he actually contracts it?"

"If he truly gets infected, the rabies vaccine offers a chance of survival; without it, it’s a death sentence. It’s not that we doctors enjoy scaring patients. Sometimes, patients simply don’t take their own health seriously enough."

"You always have to consider the ’what ifs.’ Even after getting the rabies vaccine, there’s still a possibility of the disease developing, as everyone’s immune response is different. If a little scare can make them more cautious, then it’s worth doing."

Liang Xiaolin nodded; his words seemed to make sense.

Take this recent patient, for example. If Liu Banxia hadn’t scared him a little, he definitely wouldn’t have taken it seriously. If the wound had been left exposed immediately after the dog bite, and as much blood as possible squeezed out, it would have been safer.

However, one couldn’t entirely blame the patient for covering the wound with tissue paper to stop the bleeding, even if it might have been counterproductive. After all, not everyone is aware of this specific medical knowledge.

Liu Banxia had merely explained the situation thoroughly, ensuring the patient understood the potential complications. He had said what he could and done what he could. The next step was up to the patient.

He had to get back to work. The weather was getting warmer, people were wearing less clothing, and consequently, there were more trauma patients.