Chapter 251 - 201: Are You Trying to Usurp the Throne, Wu Ting?

Chapter 251: Chapter 201: Are You Trying to Usurp the Throne, Wu Ting?

Director Cai and Lu Xuejun hurried to the Emergency Department, where they reviewed the patient’s symptoms and the previous examinations from the county hospital.

"Elevated plasma norepinephrine... lethargy and other neurological symptoms..."

Director Cai’s initial thought was also alcohol withdrawal syndrome; after all, such cases were quite common.

In Director Cai’s experience, the central nervous system of a long-term drinker becomes chronically suppressed. When they suddenly stop or drastically reduce their alcohol intake, their plasma norepinephrine levels spike. This overexcites the sympathetic nervous system, causing the cerebral cortex to lose its inhibitory function. The result is a series of clinical symptoms, including tremors, perceptual disturbances, and convulsions.

This fit the patient’s situation perfectly. However, if that were the diagnosis, the county hospital had already been providing symptomatic treatment for three days. It was impossible that there hadn’t been even the slightest improvement.

’Could it be a cerebral infarction or schizophrenia?’

Cai Qi felt a weight on his shoulders. He wasn’t the kind of person who naturally took charge. He had become the director of Hepatobiliary Surgery at City First Hospital for a few reasons: his seniority, his father-in-law, and the fact that there simply wasn’t anyone better for the job.

Seeing the silent Director Cai, Lu Xuejun could already guess what was coming. They would undoubtedly call for a consultation. If that failed, they’d have to transfer the patient to a superior hospital.

Before, Lu Xuejun and the other doctors in the Hepatobiliary Surgery department had been used to Director Cai’s methods and had never seen a problem with it.

However, everything changed after they witnessed Wu Ting’s brilliance. Over the past while, Wu Ting had collaborated with their department on numerous high-difficulty surgeries, which had subtly broadened their horizons and raised their ambitions.

Especially when they saw how the Emergency Department’s Center for Laparoscopic Diagnosis and Treatment was flourishing—so much so that even top provincial hospitals were sending elite physicians to learn and exchange ideas—they were filled with a mix of envy and admiration.

Lu Xuejun never said it aloud, but a thought lingered in his mind: ’It would be great if Wu Ting was the director of our Hepatobiliary Surgery department.’

Of course, in terms of comprehensive ability, Wu Ting still had significant limitations. He had only mastered a few Surgical Techniques; in many other fields, he was a blank slate.

It was impossible for him to jump from chief resident to department director in the short term. After all, in a public institution like theirs, the most important thing was to follow the rules and go through the proper channels.

What Lu Xuejun admired was Wu Ting’s attitude, his willpower, and his ability to solve problems.

He always stepped up in a crisis—that, to Lu Xuejun, was the mark of a true department director.

Huo Yun was much better than Cai Qi in this regard.

As Lu Xuejun’s mind wandered, Cai Qi gave his next instructions:

"At first glance, there are still several potential causes for the patient’s condition. The doctors from our Hepatobiliary Surgery department aren’t enough to figure this out alone. Alright, Lu Xuejun, go get the director of Neurosurgery. Yasui, go get Director Qin. Have them come here so we can hold a joint consultation."

"Also, get the patient a head CT, check his blood ammonia, and order an abdominal imaging study."

Under Director Cai’s orders, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Since the potential diagnoses were cerebral infarction, schizophrenia, or alcohol withdrawal syndrome, Yasui didn’t think to get Wu Ting.

Before long, Qin Donglai, Cai Qi, and Director of Neurosurgery Jin Hongwei had all gathered in the Emergency Department’s conference room.

The imaging results from the various tests were brought in as well.

The directors began their review. Director Jin, in particular, frowned as he looked over the patient’s case.

"This patient’s case is a tough one. He presents with thought disorders, abnormal behavior, and neuropsychiatric symptoms like lethargy, which certainly points to the possibility of schizophrenia. However, he has no relevant personal or family history, nor was there any specific trigger..."

Director Jin was undecided.

Qin Donglai chimed in:

"Director Cai, Director Jin, look at the patient’s head CT. There’s clear evidence of brain atrophy, but it’s not a highly specific finding, so we can’t be certain of a cerebrovascular cause... Could it be related to a liver issue?"

Qin Donglai asked, having noticed the patient’s liver cirrhosis.

Cai Qi shook his head.

"I don’t think so. The county hospital treated him for alcohol withdrawal syndrome with no significant improvement. I also checked his transaminase levels, and all the markers are normal. It’s unlikely to be a liver issue."

After some discussion, the three directors still couldn’t reach a definitive conclusion.

"Then for now, our only option is to proceed with further tests, focusing on two possibilities: cerebral infarction and schizophrenia."

With no clear path forward, the atmosphere in the conference room grew heavy.

"Is Director Huo around?"

Cai Qi asked out of habit, wanting to consult the Emergency Department’s pillar of stability, Huo Yun.

"Director Huo has been busy these past few days helping Wu Ting’s team apply for the Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award. He hasn’t been in the hospital for the last two days."

Qin Donglai explained, then paused for a beat as he mentioned Wu Ting’s name.

Cai Qi understood what Qin Donglai was thinking; in fact, the same thought had crossed his own mind.

"Why don’t we get Wu Ting to take a look? That kid has a knack for diagnosing these tough cases. It’s possible he’s come across something like this before."

When Qin Donglai suggested Wu Ting might have "come across" a similar case, he of course meant that Wu Ting might have read about one in a medical journal or in case files shared by another hospital.