Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Shining Brilliantly! Combined Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Treatment for Tracheotomy
"Director Huo, Director Wei, I was just in the ward with Dr. Wu Youtu, discussing the fluid replacement plan for patients with severe burns. Coincidentally, I’ve had previous exchanges with Professor Shen Guofeng from Jinggang University Affiliated First Hospital, and I learned the Haijin Gang Burn Fluid Replacement Formula that Professor Shen’s team developed."
"After practicing it with Dr. Wu, we believe that for this mass casualty incident, it offers the significant advantages of being faster to calculate, simpler, and more accurate."
Time was of the essence, so Wu Ting cut the small talk. After all, everyone present was a seasoned expert. He directly wrote out the formula:
"The specific calculation method is as follows: According to the Haijin Gang Burn Fluid Replacement Formula, for the first 24 hours post-injury, the volume is the total area of second and third-degree burns multiplied by 100, plus or minus 1000 ml. You add 1000 ml for patients with a higher body mass and subtract 1000 ml for those with a lower body mass. If there’s an accompanying respiratory burn, add another 1000 ml. For a patient on a suspension bed, add an additional 800-1000 ml to the total volume for the first 8 hours. Within that additional amount, 2000 ml should be a balanced solution, and the crystalloid-to-colloid ratio for the remaining fluids is 2:1."
Looking at Wu Ting’s fluid replacement formula, Wei Guoqiang and Lu Yu, as heavyweights in the field of burn care, naturally saw its superiority.
Lu Yu hadn’t paid much attention to this young doctor before, but after reading the formula, she was incredibly excited. ’Isn’t this the exact kind of solution I’ve been suggesting and desperately searching for!’
"According to the traditional fluid replacement formula, the volume for the first 24 hours post-injury is the area of II and III-degree burns × body mass × 1.5 ml, plus 2000 ml for physiological needs. The body mass variable is extremely difficult to determine in a mass casualty rescue, but Dr. Wu Ting’s solution perfectly solves this problem."
Lu Yu and Wei Guoqiang exchanged a glance. Wei Guoqiang also took this very seriously.
"Dr. Wu, this Haijin Gang Burn Fluid Replacement Formula of yours couldn’t have come at a better time."
Wei Guoqiang grabbed Wu Ting’s hand and shook it excitedly, then looked at Lu Yu:
"Director Lu, how about this: you and Dr. Wu immediately go and teach this formula to all the attending physicians and residents with five or more years of experience in the burn department. With this formula, we can greatly alleviate the pressure of fluid replacement."
"Alright. Dr. Wu, I’ll have to trouble you to come with me."
Although Lu Yu was already thirty-nine, she kept her skin and figure in perfect condition. She was competent and decisive, a force to be reckoned with, and held great prestige in the burn department.
She was the most suitable person to take Wu Ting to disseminate the formula.
Watching Lu Yu and Wu Ting leave to teach the formula, Wei Guoqiang and Huo Yun breathed a sigh of relief.
"Director Huo, we really have your department’s young doctor to thank this time."
Wei Guoqiang remarked with deep feeling.
Huo Yun returned the smile, his exhausted spirits lifting a little.
While Lu Yu was taking Wu Ting from ward to ward, teaching the Haijin Gang Burn Fluid Replacement Formula, the other physicians were all swamped.
As the deputy director of emergency surgery, Jiang Ming was also in the critical care ward, giving his all to the rescue efforts.
At that moment, he was performing a tracheotomy on a patient.
With Jiang Ming’s technique and skill, a tracheotomy was something he could handle with ease. The problem was simply that too many critical patients had been transferred in.
"Director Jiang, the patient in bed 5 also needs a Tracheotomy!"
A resident physician shouted anxiously from the other side.
"Got it. This patient I’m with needs suctioning. I’ll come over as soon as I’m done."
Jiang Ming was also under immense pressure; after all, he couldn’t be in two places at once.
"Forceps... suction catheter..."
Jiang Ming took the forceps in his right hand and used them to clamp the suction catheter. He inserted it into the airway without applying suction. When he felt resistance, he pulled the catheter back slightly, then turned on the negative pressure. He suctioned as he withdrew the tube, his fingers making fine adjustments, quickly completing the rotating and pulling motion.
He completed the suctioning procedure in less than 15 seconds.
"Done!"
Seeing Jiang Ming complete another patient’s Tracheotomy and suctioning, the junior doctors around him were filled with admiration.
Jiang Ming immediately went to bed 5.
’Come to think of it, I really have to thank that young doctor under Qin Donglai for proposing the Combined Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Treatment for Tracheotomy. Thanks to this combined treatment with traditional medicine, we’ve drastically reduced subsequent pulmonary infections and saved on sterilization time during this emergency.’
This push to combine the Tracheotomy with the National Medicine method was also something Huo Yun intentionally promoted. For one, the Surgical Technique itself was superior. For another, it was a perfect opportunity for Wu Ting to collect enough case studies. It was killing two birds with one stone.
And as it turned out, Wu Ting’s Combined Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Treatment for Tracheotomy was a great success in this rescue operation!
In the middle of this mass casualty treatment, Jiang Ming personally came to understand why Wu Ting’s case study had been selected for the provincial case competition.
At critical moments, it really could save time, and time is life!
Jiang Ming proceeded with the Tracheotomy on the patient in bed 5.
However, not long after he started, the resident responsible for bed 3 also cried out.
"Director Jiang, the patient in bed 3 is in bad shape! Blood oxygen saturation has dropped to 70%, we’re giving 100% oxygen concentration, and the arterial blood gas analysis indicates severe respiratory failure... He needs a Tracheotomy too!"
They were short-staffed at the moment, and among those present, only Jiang Ming was capable of performing a Tracheotomy.
But he had only just started on his current patient.
Jiang Ming suddenly thought of the young doctor under Qin Donglai:
"How about this: go to the ward Qin Donglai is in charge of and get that young doctor of his. He has skillfully performed a Tracheotomy before, and he’s currently working on a project about the Combined Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Treatment for Tracheotomy. You go and take his place. Help them with the suturing and repairs, and have him come here to establish an artificial airway for the patient!"
The resident was slightly taken aback by Director Jiang’s orders. He felt a little ashamed. ’A senior resident like me is being sent to swap places with a junior doctor.’
But in a crisis like this, there was no time for second thoughts. The capable step up, the less able step down!
The resident took off at a run toward Qin Donglai’s ward, but he returned shortly after with a long face.
"Director Jiang, that doctor, Wu Ting, he’s not in the general ward. It seems he left for some reason."
"Left?"
Jiang Ming was furious when he heard this.
"Didn’t I already assign tasks to every team? What is a junior doctor like him doing running around instead of staying in the ward to assist with suturing and debridement?"
As the temporary head of the surgical team, Jiang Ming’s expression turned ugly.
’It’s true that I’ve come to admire this young doctor, Wu Ting, because of his work on the Combined Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Treatment for Tracheotomy.’
’But talent doesn’t give you a free pass to ignore discipline.’
’How could he disobey orders and wander off at such a critical time?’
"Go find him again!"
’After this emergency is over, I’m going to teach him a good lesson.’
Jiang Ming glared at the resident and went back to his surgery.
Sighing, the resident could only turn to run out again, but just as he was about to leave, he saw Wu Ting and Lu Yu emerging from a ward and walking toward the one they were responsible for.
"Wu Ting! Dr. Wu, where did you run off to? Director Jiang is looking for you."
"Right now, there’s a patient who needs a Tracheotomy. The department is short-staffed, so hurry up and come with me to save a life."
Seeing the frantic resident, Wu Ting nodded and immediately followed him.
Lu Yu watched this scene, a little surprised. ’This Wu Ting, he knows how to perform a Tracheotomy, too?’
The resident led Wu Ting into the ward.
"Director Jiang, I found Wu Ting."
When Jiang Ming saw Wu Ting running around with Lu Yu at a time like this, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger:
"Wu Ting, who the fuck told you to run around?!"
"What are you waiting for? Get to bed 3 and do the Tracheotomy!"
Jiang Ming, as a superior, had always been strict. Wu Ting didn’t have time to explain; saving the patient was what mattered.
He immediately threw himself into establishing an artificial airway for the patient in bed 3.
Lu Yu also walked into the ward.
A senior attending from the burn department saw Director Lu enter and greeted her like a savior:
"Director Lu, you’re finally here! I have a question about fluid replacement and need you to make a call!"
Seeing Jiang Ming’s misunderstanding of Wu Ting, Lu Yu immediately explained:
"Actually, Dr. Wu Ting and I came over together for the express purpose of solving the fluid replacement problem. A moment ago, Dr. Wu reported the Haijin Gang Burn Fluid Replacement Formula to Director Wei and Director Huo."
"Director Wei asked me to bring Dr. Wu here to disseminate and teach this formula!"
