Practicing Medical Skills in a Small Clinic

Watching the couple leave with their child, even leaving behind threatening words as they left, Tang Ping was filled with worry.

"Boss, next time when you encounter family members who are difficult to communicate with, don’t try to persuade them too hard!"

She could only offer gentle advice to her boss.

Having worked with Li Jing for so long, she’s familiar with his personality.

It’s hard to sway him.

"It’s fine, even if he curses at me, it’s no big loss. After all, it’s related to a child’s life; it’s always better to be cautious."

Li Jingsheng was not bothered by the family’s threats.

Making a medical error, giving someone a misdiagnosis or mistreatment, that would be a big issue.

In a situation like this, he thought the child’s illness might be serious and suggested the family go to a major hospital for further examination. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Even if the family took the child for a check-up and found nothing, and came back to make a fuss, after people hear about the situation, they’d still side with Sunshine Clinic.

"The child’s foot is swollen; why did you ask him to check creatinine?"

Wang Zongxiao was quite puzzled.

Sometimes, watching Li Jingsheng diagnose patients felt like reading an ’arcane book.’

He couldn’t comprehend his boss’s diagnostic thinking at all.

"Then what do you think is the most common cause of foot swelling?"

Li Jingsheng asked in return.

"Well... problems with the kidneys most easily lead to lower limb edema." Wang Zongxiao’s medical foundation is quite decent. "But the boy’s foot is swollen, and his parents said it was due to an injury! Doesn’t seem related to kidney issues, right?"

"If the family says it’s an injury, do you conclude it’s definitely an injury? Then why do we need doctors? I’ve carefully observed the swelling in the child’s right leg—it’s swelling evenly from top to bottom. To the family, it might look like only the ankle is swollen, because the swelling there is most obvious."

Sharing his findings from the diagnosis, Li Jingsheng spoke.

The overwhelming majority of lower limb swelling intensifies gradually from bottom to top.

It can be simply understood from a physics perspective: water flows to lower places.

Swelling is often due to issues in fluid circulation.

However, tracing the cause of the issue shouldn’t solely rely on circulation direction because it could be caused by cardiac, hepatic, renal, endocrine reasons.

Determining which specific cause requires comprehensive diagnosis based on the location, color, time, symptoms, among other factors about the swelling.

If necessary, biochemical tests and imaging checks are incredibly necessary.

"What if the swelling is due to lower limb circulation obstruction? Why do you consider kidney issues to be a more likely cause?"

Wang Zongxiao continued questioning.

"Dr. Wang seems to have gotten more inquisitive lately! You asking questions with such persistence is a good thing. But next time, we can save such discussions for lunchtime or after work."

Li Jingsheng had a queue of patients waiting.

We can’t let these patients sit and listen to us discussing professional medical knowledge unrelated to them, right?

"I’ve diagnosed that the child’s lower limb swelling is due to kidney issues, based on his skin color, eyes, eyelids, prolonged pain duration, low fever, and poor bone structure—I made a comprehensive diagnosis. You’ll be able to make similar judgments one day just by glancing during your routine diagnoses, once you accumulate enough experience."

Li Jingsheng never kept secrets when it came to nurturing the clinic doctors.

He always went all out to help them improve their medical skills.

"Got it. I have some more questions which I’ll ask during your break."

Wang Zongxiao began seriously attending to patients.

Just then, Li Jingsheng’s phone rang.

Checking the number, it was Professor Wu calling.

"Dr. Li, are you busy now?"

Professor Wu spoke to him quite courteously.

Using completely equal tone and style.

"I’m sitting in the clinic, attending to some patients who haven’t been seen yet. Please feel free to say whatever you need."

Whenever Vice Dean Jin calls, Li Jingsheng always awaits instructions.

However, with someone of Professor Wu’s status, he was noticeably more casual.

That’s naturally the way it should be once one’s skill level increases.

Given his current status and medical skill level, flattering and fawning over Professor Wu? He’d need to be out of his mind to do so.

"The patient you helped Xiaou diagnose last night has now been found to indeed have chronic intestinal obstruction. I think if it doesn’t pose a life threat temporarily, let’s wait until his bone injury heals before transferring him to the gastroenterology department for treatment. But if it’s dangerous, I’d swallow my pride and ask a doctor from the gastroenterology department to join in treatment."

Conducting a joint consultation seemed like an ordinary matter in big hospitals.

However, applying for joint consultation takes time.

If not acquainted with doctors from other departments, it’s strictly by the book.

First, submit a consultation request, and then the requested department arranges doctors based on circumstances.

The rule is to process within twenty-four hours.

In reality, it often takes three days.

Moreover, the dispatched doctors are usually just regular doctors; having a resident show up would already be considered a huge favor.

Because every clinical doctor is exceptionally busy.

A peculiar phenomenon exists in most hospitals now, where tens of clinical doctors have to support twice as many non-clinical ones. For example, administrative and logistic staff.

Visualize how busy clinical doctors and nurses are.

Under such circumstances, when they can barely manage their primary work, how could they find time to rush for interdepartmental consultations?