(Thanks to Mouse Feathers for encouraging with the monthly ticket)

Liu Banxia enjoyed his dinner quite a bit, and of course, he had to report to Qiaoqiao during the meal. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Nowadays, it's just Qiaoqiao and Yanzi at home, Auntie Tong has taken Xiaoyu back to school, Comrade Old Qiao also needs to go back to manage his business over there, so he's running back and forth.

No choice, a daughter and a son are both enormously important tasks.

The daughter is pregnant with a grandson, twins even. The son's studies are equally important. Though he doesn't need help with tutoring, he still requires mental support.

So chatting with Qiaoqiao for a bit during lunch and dinner has become part of the routine. It doesn't matter the length of time, it must be done.

Tonight, seeing Liu Banxia enjoying his braised meat with cabbage, Qiaoqiao got tempted. She then ordered her best friend, part-time fitness coach, part-time chat companion, and part-time cook, Yanzi, to figure out how to make this dish.

Yanzi was quite resigned at the time, but agreed after Liu Banxia promised to make them barbecue the next day after work.

She was feeling a bit troubled, it seemed like her role as a best friend was not all that valuable, she's almost turned into a little nanny.

"Is the electromyography not done yet? How did your discussion go?" Liu Banxia asked after he returned, full and satisfied.

"Cough cough"

Xu Yino cleared her throat.

"We suspect it's an autoimmune disease or a genetic disorder, could also be caused by endocrine system dysfunctions. Next, we need a brain CT, lumbar puncture to check cerebrospinal fluid, and inquire about the patient's medication history and any recent infections."

"Wow, nice." Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Well, you know, we're holding a consulation after all." Xu Yino said smugly.

"Don't you need to perform a physical examination on the patient? Carefully assess their lower limb condition. Don't you need to check if their upper limbs are affected too?" Liu Banxia countered.

Xu Yino was stunned and turned to look at her two partners.

Her two partners were a bit frustrated as well; indeed, they should examine further. It's like the consultation or referral patient; reviewing the examination report is one aspect, but observing the actual patient condition is also necessary.

This was also something Liu Banxia had emphasized because the emergency center now has many patients who come for examination from local hospitals.

"However, considering you passed this phase, this patient's condition is still somewhat special." Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"It's good you thought of asking about the patient's medication history and recent infections; that's commendable. Our patient's uniqueness lies here; they tend to overlook many symptoms that should be noted."

"Following the normal procedure, the lumbar puncture would be done now. Li Hao just went to have dinner too, and the patient's family came over. We can talk to the family later; maybe there'll be more clues."

The three nodded joyfully; earning Liu Banxia's approval was not easy. He often finds faults in every detail; not easy to deal with.

"Alright, let's get on with our tasks. Once the patient's electromyography is done, we'll study it together." Liu Banxia said.

The three nodded happily, in good spirits.

"Quite brilliant, you've learned teamwork." Wang Chao said with a smile.

"What good does saying that to me do? Anyway, I've been pondering something lately. Could you two help analyze it and see if it's feasible?" Liu Banxia said.

"At night, when we're on duty, we have at least two attending physicians, two chief residents, and three to four resident doctors – isn't that a bit much?"

"Uh... how do you plan to change it?" Wang Chao asked.

"I think one attending physician, two chief residents, two resident doctors, plus interns and regulated doctors should suffice, right?" Liu Banxia said.

"For basic trauma surgeries, Xu Yino and the team can handle them. You guys can manage the more difficult ones. Although President Qi says to keep an eye here, there won't necessarily be so many emergency patients sent every day."

"Just worried about critically ill patients; I'm afraid I might not handle it." Qi Wentai said with a bitter smile.

"Ah... that's where it falls short. Otherwise, for regular trauma surgeries, I think there's no problem." Liu Banxia nodded.

"What's up for discussion?" Shi Lei asked, as he joined them after seeing to a patient.

"Just discussing how we can efficiently utilize all staff and ensure everyone gets adequate rest." Liu Banxia said.

"Haha, that's something you should discuss with Old Chen. Why discuss with us? Make that move, and you won't offer pickled pig trotters." Shi Lei teased.

"What's wrong with me? Just craving pig trotters." Liu Banxia said helplessly.

"I just thought about it, and it's still not feasible. Only Xiao Liu and the interns have more flexible schedules, but they definitely won't be happy to rest, as they want to master more medical skills."

"There's no solution now; we are still lacking manpower here." Shi Lei said.

"Our scale has already grown, and many patients are sent here every day. Moreover, many emergency patients come at once, and there could be two or three critical ones, not enough time to call for help."

"Exactly, that's the issue here." Liu Banxia nodded.

He really wanted to reduce the night shifts for everyone, even if it's just one day less per month. But it's unrealistic; you never know when a major incident might happen.

Just then, a patient was pushed over by their family, and the electromyography test was already completed. Seeing the tense expressions on the couple's faces, Liu Banxia knew the test results were surely not ideal.

He received the report and looked at it, confirming that there were issues with the nerves. The report indicated that there was damage to the nerves in the lower limbs, and the nerve conduction velocity was slowed.

"Doctor, is it a serious issue? We just asked the doctor over there, and he told us to ask you." The patient said.

Liu Banxia nodded, "His job is just to test and provide results. Diagnosing the illness still requires us here."

"Next, we consider two types of tests. The first is a brain CT scan to check your brain for any pathological changes."

Upon hearing this, the patient became unsettled. Because what does this represent? Not intestinal cancer, stomach cancer, or bone cancer, but brain cancer.

"Don't be agitated just yet; even a small inflammation could cause such results." Liu Banxia coaxed.

Hearing this, the patient felt a slight relief, but their face remained tense.

"Is this your wife? Could you help us recall if he's recently mentioned any other discomfort?" Liu Banxia continued asking.

The patient's wife shook her head, "I went on a tour group, and he was home alone managing the shop. Sometimes my brother-in-law helps, but he hasn't said anything about discomfort."

"Has he taken any medication, or had sudden fever at any time?" Liu Banxia asked.

"No medication, hasn't taken any. I don't have diabetes or hypertension. Oh, sweating, I've really sweated before. But I was already a bit tired, my brother-in-law and I ate hotpot and sweated a lot then." The patient said.

"Hmm... Let's temporarily not consider this now. Fever is not sweating, it's high fever, has there been any instance?" Liu Banxia asked.

"No. Honestly, I've always thought I'm physically fit, didn't expect to catch this illness." The patient said.

"See, you're getting anxious again." Liu Banxia said helplessly.

"Though he's timid, he usually pays attention to his health." The patient's wife said.

"Alright, let me explain the next examination plan." Liu Banxia said.

"As we just discussed, we'll do a brain CT scan. Since all our actions are commanded by the brain, we need to check it. If the CT doesn't show anything, we'll proceed with the lumbar puncture."

"The purpose of the lumbar puncture is to examine the cerebrospinal fluid, as we are also assessing if any autoimmune disease could be causing the current effects."

"Once we examine the cerebrospinal fluid, we can conduct a rapid test. We can temporarily obtain some results, and we'll need to cultivate to check for bacterial infections."

"Doctor, then... then I'm not brain cancer, right? I'm not brain cancer?" The patient asked.

"That's not the interpretation, infections could also be caused unintentionally by bacteria. We'll know if there's a tumor once we do the CT scan." Liu Banxia said.

"Go ahead and do it; tonight is quite relaxed, no patients, no need to queue. Don't overthink; I see your thoughts are clear and no symptoms of headache, the chance of a brain tumor is very low."

The patient opened his mouth but didn't inquire further. Perhaps he was afraid of scaring himself, ultimately not speaking up.

Showing to be timid and scared of death, but Liu Banxia and the others wouldn't mock him.

Honestly, if one swapped with him, they wouldn't be able to accept it lightly, and would be filled with speculations, just posing with slight composure outwardly.

Everyone's afraid of death; those not afraid should go to the neurology department for a check-up.

But this case is somewhat troubling, hoping the upcoming CT and cerebrospinal fluid tests provide direction. Otherwise, based on the patient's symptoms now, indications are unclear.

However, in future communications with the patient, more attention to approach and method should be given. The patient is already very tense, and on further tests, if you ask about other possible symptoms, he might say there are.