Chapter 551: Wrong Place for Medicine, A Newborn Refusing to Eat

“The root of the issue isn’t with the heart. Even a transplant might not make much difference. Stay here for about a week of treatment. If your condition keeps improving, we’ll discharge you. Once you’re home, stick to regular exercise and use this electric massage tool to aid recovery.”

The patient’s calf muscles had atrophied severely. Relying solely on exercise for a quick recovery wasn’t realistic.

Using an electric tool or manual massage to boost blood flow in the legs during this tough period seemed like the best approach.

Seeing the patient’s condition improve significantly and the hope of a full recovery lifted Zhou Can’s spirits.

Back at the Emergency Department, he dove straight into the intense pace of surgical work.

Barely finishing two surgeries, a nurse rushed in from outside, seeking his help.

“Boss, Pediatrics just called. They’ve got a newborn, only three days old, suffering from severe heart failure. It’s critical, and they’re asking for your consultation.”

Ma Xiaolan hurried in to relay the message.

“Alright, I’m on my way.”

Zhou Can had a close tie with Pediatrics, almost like a part-time doctor there. With a critical case on their hands, he felt obligated to assist.

If it weren’t serious, they wouldn’t have called for him.

Pediatrics boasted a strong team.

Not only did they have rehired veteran experts, but also a large group of directors and deputy directors aged between forty and sixty. New recruits were mostly postgraduates with master’s degrees; undergraduates were a rarity now.

Only exceptionally talented undergraduate medical students stood a chance of getting in.

Compared to when Zhou Can first joined Tuyu Hospital years ago, the bar for undergraduates to enter had risen drastically.

Back then, securing a full residency qualification at Tuyu and being under thirty-five almost guaranteed a job after completion. Now, the cutoff was generally a master’s degree.

Without a postgraduate degree or a recommendation from a major hospital or prestigious school, applicants were often screened out by Human Resources right at the residency application stage.

Through years of effort, Tuyu had seen a notable boost in its overall strength and rankings.

Especially with outstanding young doctors like Zhou Can rising fast, becoming key pillars in various departments.

This further elevated the hospital’s strength and reputation.

In the past, Tuyu’s biggest weakness was the lack of academic papers, especially high-impact ones. Another sore point was the generally low academic credentials of its doctors. Some older staff even held technical school diplomas.

Medical technical schools were a relic of a bygone era.

Back then, a university degree was the pinnacle. Graduates from medical technical schools, essentially vocational high schoolers, were mainstream among doctors. Over time, the standard crept up to associate degrees, considered high education.

By a decade ago, bachelor’s degrees were in demand.

Nowadays, even master’s degrees weren’t enough; doctorates or even post-doctoral qualifications were the new benchmark.

The pace of progress was staggering.

Under Director Zhu’s visionary leadership, Tuyu Hospital underwent sweeping reforms, prioritizing talent and research. The past few years had seen remarkable growth. With improved strength and rankings, patient volume in each department skyrocketed.

This gave the hospital the leverage to attract top-tier talent.

Even with the bar set at a master’s degree, countless medical students still clamored to get in.

Zhou Can gave a quick heads-up to Dr. Xu before rushing to Pediatrics.

Saving lives took precedence.

Severe heart failure in a newborn carried a high mortality rate, often linked to congenital heart defects.

A case of newborn heart failure stumping so many pediatric experts had to be incredibly tricky.

Zhou Can instinctively quickened his pace.

Tuyu Hospital was vast. Getting from the Emergency Department to Pediatrics meant cutting through the Internal Medicine Building and circling past Surgical Building One. It took at least seven or eight minutes on foot, even at a brisk pace.

Zhou Can moved with such speed it felt like the wind was at his heels.

While passing through the Internal Medicine corridor, he spotted a somewhat familiar face approaching. Squinting for a better look, a playful smirk tugged at his lips. The middle-aged man clutching a long payment slip was none other than Brother Wei.

At that moment, Brother Wei had clearly noticed Zhou Can too.

He lowered his head awkwardly, pretending not to see him.

The more he dodged, the more Zhou Can felt like teasing him.

“Hey, aren’t you Mr. Lan’s bodyguard? What brings you to Internal Medicine?”

Zhou Can greeted him, feigning ignorance.

“Ahem… I’m just picking up some medicine for Young Master Lan.” Brother Wei’s face flushed with embarrassment.

His strength was impressive, but his wit left much to be desired.

“Mr. Lan is admitted to Cardiothoracic Surgery. If you’re getting medicine, shouldn’t you head to the Pharmacy or Cardiothoracic Department? You look a bit lost there. How about I take a peek at that slip for you?”

Zhou Can reached for the paper in his hand as he spoke.

“No need, no need!”

Brother Wei wouldn’t dare let him see the payment slip and quickly dodged.

He didn’t even bother reacting to Zhou Can’s jab about being clueless.

“Really no help needed?”

Zhou Can’s tone carried a hint of amusement.

“Really, I’m fine! You go on with your work!”

As Brother Wei declined, he addressed Zhou Can with a respectful tone for the first time.

This shift in attitude was intriguing.

From initially looking down on Zhou Can with disdain to now genuinely respecting his medical skills, the change was evident. In the medical field, respect was earned through skill alone.

Nothing else mattered.

Only the ability to heal patients truly won admiration.

“Alright then, I’m off!”

In the end, Zhou Can didn’t call out Brother Wei for being here to treat a liver condition. A little teasing, a quick laugh, and he let it slide.

For adults, exposing someone’s flaws or embarrassing them publicly was a major faux pas, and tearing down facades was an absolute no-no.

A few minutes later, he arrived smoothly at the Neonatology Department in Pediatrics.

Dr. Tang Fei and Dr. Zhuang were already waiting anxiously, along with Director Le from Cardiothoracic Surgery who had also been called in. Inside the consultation room, numerous directors were at a loss over the newborn’s condition.

After brief pleasantries, Zhou Can got straight to the point.

“How’s the child doing?”

“It’s not looking good. The main symptoms are refusal to nurse or even drink water for three days now. Breathing is rapid, cries are as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, and the face is completely ashen. If we can’t find a solution today, I’m afraid this child might not make it.”

Dr. Tang Fei explained with a trace of urgency in her expression.

For her, a child’s death didn’t directly impact her interests.

Yet she showed the same anxiety as the child’s parents, a testament to her precious sense of duty as a doctor.

From her description, the rapid threat to the child’s life wasn’t heart failure but the refusal to eat.

Having worked in Pediatrics for over two years, Zhou Can had built up considerable clinical experience.

There were many reasons for a child refusing to eat, with breathing difficulties being the most common.

After birth, infants instinctively suckle breast milk—a natural survival skill honed by human evolution.

But suckling requires significant effort, which can make their breathing labored. If fed artificially, one nostril often gets blocked by the mother’s body during feeding.

This leaves them breathing through just one nostril, making it even harder.

As a self-protective instinct, infants opt for a state where breathing feels relatively easier. At such times, they resist feeding.

In the inpatient wards of Obstetrics, it’s common to see newborns refusing to nurse after birth.

Some won’t even take milk.

This is a red flag. Infants who go over a day without eating are almost always sick. New mothers and family members mustn’t skimp on costs or downplay the issue by hiding it from doctors and nurses.

In major hospitals’ Obstetrics departments, discharge often happens within two days of delivery.

Doctors and nurses, swamped with work, might not notice if a baby isn’t eating and rely on quick questions to family or the mother for information. If families deliberately withhold details, it can easily lead to disaster.

Zhou Can had encountered such families during his time in Pediatrics.

They’d bring in a baby just days old for treatment. One look revealed the child’s terrible state—listless, in a near-comatose slumber, lips parched. When questioned, the family would stammer and dodge with vague answers.

After examining the infant, the results often showed life-threatening conditions.

In such cases, Zhou Can could only silently curse the family’s ignorance. A precious little life might slip away just like that.

In a hospital, even if an infant refuses to eat, timely reporting to doctors and nurses offers ways to save them—like direct IV nutrition.

In the ICU of Neonatology, some premature babies might weigh just a few hundred grams at birth, tiny as frogs.

With meticulous care from medical staff, those in better condition could gain weight to three or four kilograms within a month. By then, they’d typically develop into normal newborns.

“Dr. Tang, after discussing with the other directors, what do you think the child’s illness might be?”

Zhou Can reviewed the child’s records while asking for the experts’ conclusions.

Since he wasn’t present for their earlier discussions, he needed their insights.

Diagnosing complex cases often required collective wisdom and brainstorming.

“The consensus leans toward heart failure, but we haven’t agreed on what’s causing it.”

Based on symptoms, test results, and clinical experience, identifying the illness wasn’t the hardest part.

The real challenge lay in pinpointing the root cause.

Heart failure could stem from various issues—enlarged heart, congenital defects, or even something as unusual as the case Zhou Can recently solved, where atrophied and lax calf muscles triggered it.

A newborn’s body is far more fragile than an adult’s.

Many tests safe for adults couldn’t be used on infants.

Adults could clearly express discomfort or symptoms.

Infants, however, couldn’t communicate anything to doctors. A few cries were the best they could manage.

“Where’s the child now?”

“In Ward 7. I’ll take you there.”

As the head of Pediatrics, Dr. Tang Fei was incredibly busy and held a prestigious position.

Her personally guiding Zhou Can showed both respect for him and how much she valued this child’s case.

Following Dr. Tang Fei, they reached the newborn ward.

On the third bed inside lay a woman who had given birth just two days ago, her forehead wrapped in a postpartum headband.

In China, postpartum confinement is taken very seriously. It’s believed that after childbirth, the body’s bones loosen.

Tying a headband tightly is thought to aid recovery.

If not done, it might lead to lingering headaches.

Though lacking scientific backing, this tradition passed down by elders is followed by most, adhering to the idea of better safe than sorry. They opt for confinement and various care practices.

Like avoiding cold water, not bathing, not washing hair…

The list of taboos is endless.

The woman looked to be in her early twenties, quite young. At that moment, she cradled the infant with a pained expression, trying to get the baby to drink some water.

Sadly, the infant resisted fiercely, either refusing to open its mouth or pushing the nipple out with force, spitting it away.

Seeing a large group of doctors enter the ward, the mother and her family seemed a bit uneasy.

The family even stood up, offering the best spot to the doctors.

“Is the baby still refusing water?”

Dr. Tang Fei stepped closer, her voice filled with concern.

“Yes! I don’t know why he just won’t drink. Every time, he pushes the bottle nipple out with all his might.” The young mother’s face was etched with worry and desperation.

The joy of becoming a mother hadn’t yet faded, but her baby’s abnormal behavior gripped her heart with fear.

If an adult went three days without food or water, they’d collapse.

Let alone a newborn infant.

“This is Dr. Zhou Can, a renowned doctor in our Pediatrics Department. He’s skilled in multiple fields, including Pediatrics and Cardiothoracic Surgery. We’ve specially invited him for this consultation to pinpoint the cause of your child’s condition.”

Dr. Tang Fei gave a focused introduction of Zhou Can to the family.

Being adept in multiple areas was indeed a huge advantage.

For instance, in diagnosing this newborn, where other doctors were stumped, the young Zhou Can brought a glimmer of hope to everyone.

“Thank you, thank you so much! Please, Dr. Zhou, do your best!”

The young mother repeatedly expressed her gratitude to the doctors.

“May I hold the baby?”

Zhou Can asked gently.

“Of course, of course!”

The mother handed the infant to Zhou Can.

The family watched from the side, struck by how young this doctor seemed. Yet, being highlighted among so many older doctors must mean he had real talent.

“Wah… wah…”

Held by a stranger, the infant opened weak eyes and let out a frightened cry.

But his cries were faint.

They sounded like a tiny kitten mewling.

Zhou Can carefully observed the infant, checking his nasal passages, mouth, complexion, and more.

“Has he gone a long time without milk or water?”

“Since birth, he’s refused to drink. His lips are so dry. At most, he’s taken a sip or two before spitting the nipple out.” The mother’s voice trembled with heartache.