Chapter 44: Critical Diagnosis Under Pressure

I bet at this moment, he just wishes he could vanish into thin air, hoping nobody would pay him any attention.

There’s a saying: the higher you jump, the harder you fall.

Du Leng had been far too conspicuous earlier; once the misdiagnosis was realized, there was no way for him to step down.

Fortunately, all eyes were primarily on Zhou Can and the pregnant woman.

No one was excessively focused on him.

Right now, everyone’s main concern is the expectant mother’s treatment.

Although Zhou Can’s deductions were meticulous and insightful, the final verdict still depended on the blood test.

“How about we try injecting the patient with a diuretic first?”

Director Yin actively sought a treatment option to salvage his tarnished reputation.

After all, nearly misdiagnosing and mistreating her earlier was a very serious blunder.

“I think it’s feasible. Even if we’re not sure which drug she mistakenly took, diuretics don’t generally conflict with other medications, so the risk to the mother is minimal.”

Director Zhang Bihua supported this experimental treatment plan.

Just then, the intracranial pressure monitor started beeping rapidly.

It startled everyone.

“This isn’t good. Her blood pressure is still rising—we must lower it immediately, or that arterial aneurysm in her head might rupture at any moment.”

Every doctor present knew well the dire consequences should that aneurysm burst.

Director Yin immediately ordered a diuretic injection.

“Director Zhang, can you see about inserting a urinary catheter for the patient?”

Since pregnancy is a unique condition with reduced immunity, catheterization might cause a urinary tract infection that could even lead to miscarriage.

The risk was huge—nobody would take that gamble unless absolutely necessary.

“Let’s hold off on that! Her fetus is sizable and her condition quite special. The risk of catheterization far outweighs that of an ordinary pregnancy. I’ll have Yang Chan monitor her urine output closely; if she stops urinating entirely, then we’ll reconsider.”

Director Zhang Bihua pondered for a few seconds before deciding against the catheter.

It was clear she was extremely cautious.

Nearly all obstetricians practice extra caution—any misstep that risks miscarriage or fetal abnormalities is too heavy a responsibility to bear.

“I feel that merely using a diuretic for lowering blood pressure is too simplistic. I suggest we extract some blood to reduce the overall blood volume and then transfuse it back later.”

Director Tan proposed a bloodletting strategy that most ordinary doctors wouldn’t dare even consider.

After all, experience makes an older doctor invaluable.

Veteran physicians, with their rich experience and broad insights, often apply unexpected methods in practice.

After employing both methods to lower the pregnant woman’s blood pressure, the effect was immediate.

Especially thanks to the bloodletting method suggested by Director Tan.

This straightforward physical approach had no waiting period, unlike medications.

As they saw her blood pressure finally drop, the chief physicians leading the effort let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Don’t celebrate too early. The blood pressure is down somewhat, but the real problem remains unsolved. Let’s hope Dr. Zhou Can’s diagnosis is correct; once the blood test results pinpoint the culprit, we can administer the right treatment to completely cure her.”

Director Yin’s respect for Zhou Can had grown immensely.

Given his age and status, he could have addressed him as ‘Little Zhou’,

yet he chose to use ‘Dr. Zhou Can’ to emphasize his respect for the resident doctor.

Time ticked by minute by minute.

The specialist lab, aware of the patient’s prestigious status, worked with urgency.

Moreover, three department heads from key specialties were waiting in the Emergency Department for the results.

In under half an hour, the blood test results were ready.

“The specialist lab called. They detected indomethacin in the patient’s blood.”

Indomethacin is commonly used as an anti-inflammatory and pain relief medication.

Its consumption can cause blood pressure to rise.

“Excellent, we’ve finally identified the culprit.”

The chief physicians’ faces lit up with relief.

This pregnant patient was under the direct oversight of Director Zhu, so the pressure on the consulting doctors was immense.

A successful treatment would mean relief for all.

If they failed to save her, while there’d be no legal liability, it would be extremely hard to explain to Director Zhu and her family.

Hearing the news, Zhou Can broke into a delighted smile.

He felt an unprecedented surge of accomplishment.

Through his relentless efforts, he had managed to save both the expectant mother and the child in her womb.

【Pathology Diagnosis Experience +0.8】

【You’ve successfully diagnosed an ultra-difficult, complex hidden case. Diagnostic Experience Reward +100】

Receiving that 0.8 experience wasn’t surprising for Zhou Can.

But when he gained a staggering 100 diagnostic experience points, he was utterly stunned.

That was a full 100 points.

Normally, one would need to review 1,000 cases or accurately diagnose 100 patients to earn such a reward.

Even though diagnosing the cause in this pregnant woman was harder than solving a mystery, every bit of effort was worthwhile.

The payoff was richer than he could have imagined.

【Pathology Diagnosis Level 3; Current EXP 102/1000. Resident-level proficiency】

This notoriously hard-to-improve medical skill had taken a giant leap forward.

Just nine more ultra-difficult cases, and his pathology diagnosis would rise to attending level.

However, such patients were rare.

And at his current diagnostic level, it would be tough to encounter another ultra-difficult case.

Successfully diagnosing this woman’s condition was heavily reliant on luck.

If it hadn’t been for the accidental note that her eyebrows were poorly done—hinting at vision problems—a successful diagnosis would have been unlikely.

In short, it required both skill and luck.

“Let’s begin targeted treatment immediately!”

Now that they’ve identified the drug she mistakenly took, everything becomes straightforward.

They just need to administer the proper antidote.

Following a round of emergency treatment, the pregnant woman’s blood pressure finally began to fall naturally.

“It’s dropping, it’s dropping! Finally, her blood pressure is coming down, haha!”

Nurse Ye Tingting cheered excitedly, bursting into a fit of giggles.

Soon, smiles spread across everyone’s faces.

Once her blood pressure normalized, Director Tan didn’t rush to transfuse her blood back.

“Let’s send her for a color ultrasound to check if the aneurysm has disappeared.”

Before they could even wheel her out, she woke up.

“Ugh… my head is spinning! Wh-where am I?”

She instinctively tried to sit up, but her body was too weak to support her.

“Don’t move! You collapsed in a taxi because your blood pressure spiked. You’re now in the Emergency Rescue Room at Tuyu Hospital. After emergency treatment, your blood pressure is under control, but there’s still danger—you need a head ultrasound to check if the aneurysm has vanished.”

Director Zhang Bihua stepped forward, gently holding the patient and patiently explaining the situation.

“Ah, so the baby in my belly is okay, right?”

“The baby is currently unharmed.”

“Thank goodness—as long as the baby is fine, that’s all that matters.”

Hearing that, the pregnant woman beamed with relief, seemingly unconcerned about herself.

It was obvious she valued her child above her own life.

“Let’s get you checked immediately!”

Only once we confirm that the aneurysm has truly disappeared can everyone finally relax.

After her blood pressure normalized and she awoke from her coma, it was safe to assume that the aneurysm compressing her brainstem had shrunk or vanished.

Before long, her head ultrasound results came back.

“Let me take a look.”

Director Yin eagerly grabbed the ultrasound film and examined it in the light.

Other doctors craned their necks, hopeful for good news.

“Th-this…”

Yin Hua’s right hand trembled as he held the film, his lips quivering.

His expression was as if he had seen his late grandfather come back to life.

A heaviness settled over everyone; judging by Director Yin’s reaction, the situation looked dire.

“Director Yin, what’s the result? Spit it out already!”

Director Xie, ever impatient by nature, couldn’t hold back any longer.

Seeing Director Yin delay, he lost his patience.

Du Leng even perked up, straining his ears; he was the most anxious of all.

“It’s really gone. Truly gone… Dr. Zhou’s diagnosis was completely correct.”

Who says a lower degree means inferior diagnostic skills?

Who says a resident’s judgment isn’t reliable?

“Dr. Zhou, I must say, you’ve redefined what it means to be a resident physician. You’re the best I’ve ever seen—no contest.”

Director Yin declared this in front of everyone, partly as an apology to Zhou Can.

After all, not long ago he had criticized Zhou Can for being superficial.

He had even boasted, in front of Zhou Can, about having reviewed tens of thousands of cases and eaten more salt than Zhou Can had ever consumed in all his meals.

Now that the pregnant woman’s blood pressure had normalized, she had regained consciousness, and the intracranial aneurysm had miraculously vanished.

Actions speak louder than words.

Medicine is simple: diagnose correctly, and the cure is assured. If the diagnosis is wrong, all you can do is pray to the gods and hope that no medical mishaps occur.