Chapter 1018: 688 Disease Identification and Syndrome Differentiation
After arranging everything, Du Heng didn’t concern himself with the rest. Besides, even if he wanted to, it wasn’t his place to manage it.
Du Heng returned to Li Jianwei’s Director office at Provincial First Hospital and sat down, his expression grave. Seeing this, Li Jianwei asked, "Xiao Heng, is the situation not looking good?"
Du Heng hummed, then nodded gently. "The child’s condition is continuously worsening. It’s much more severe than the previous child I treated."
Hearing this, Li Jianwei couldn’t help but become serious. "Then why did you take this on just now? Let Ge and the others bear the consequences of their own actions. Now that you’ve stepped in, you might face some trouble later." He seemed to forget that he was the one who had summoned Du Heng.
Du Heng sighed softly. "I didn’t want to either. But seeing the child in the sickbed, and the parents beside him, I just couldn’t bring myself to walk away. However, I still have confidence in my prescription. If there are no unforeseen issues, after three doses of the medicine, the child’s deterioration should be halted. As long as the condition stops worsening, the child will gain some breathing room, and then there will be a chance for further treatment."
Seeing Du Heng’s confidence, Li Jianwei didn’t press further but changed the subject. "Xiao Heng, both children have leukemia, and the methods used should be largely the same. So why did your treatment for the other child yield immediate results, while Ge and his team have ended up in this situation?"
Du Heng slowly took a cup from his bag. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, "This is likely a contradiction between disease identification and syndrome differentiation.
"I suspect Deputy Director Cai and the others are still diagnosing this child’s illness primarily through the lens of leukemia as understood in Western medicine. From their perspective, of course, this diagnosis isn’t wrong.
"However, even if the disease name is the same, it’s viewed differently in traditional Chinese medicine. For us, identifying the disease is merely the most elementary step; the crucial part is syndrome differentiation.
"When the two conflict, I believe we must prioritize the syndrome over the disease to prescribe the most effective medicine."
Du Heng picked up the cup as if to take a sip, but then hesitated and set it down again. "As I recall, when I gave the last set of materials, I told you, Teacher, and asked you to inform them: if they simply try to match symptoms to a fixed formula, applying a one-size-fits-all treatment, it won’t cure the disease. It will only hasten death.
"Moreover, regarding the disease name, this was my first time encountering and treating childhood leukemia. So, any categorization of treatment based solely on ’leukemia’ would inevitably be somewhat superficial and simplistic.
"The materials I provided can only serve as a reference. If those materials are used as a definitive treatment method, that’s still the Western medicine approach of treating the disease, not our traditional Chinese medicine approach of treating the syndrome."
Li Jianwei listened quietly with narrowed eyes as Du Heng spoke, slowly nodding in agreement. Once Du Heng finished and sipped his water, Li Jianwei stopped asking questions. Instead, he began to ponder the potential troubles Du Heng might face later.
At noon, after lunch at Provincial First Hospital, Du Heng checked on the child again. Besides a slight reduction in the high fever, there was no significant change in the child’s condition.
Du Heng himself still had many things to deal with and couldn’t remain at Provincial First Hospital indefinitely. After giving some instructions to Deputy Director Cai and Li Jianwei, he returned to the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital.
As soon as he returned to the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Gao Qin found him. Upon seeing her, Gao Qin had a serious expression, which puzzled Du Heng. "Director Gao, what strange situation have we encountered now?"
"A one-year-old child was brought in this morning with congenital syphilis," Gao Qin said slowly.
Hearing this, Du Heng felt a surge of frustration. Is this ever going to end? Then, frowning, he asked, "Vertical transmission of syphilis? How was it discovered? And how did the child end up in our hospital?"
Gao Qin’s expression shifted several times before she finally sighed deeply. "Do you remember the man who was with the guy with glasses?"
"Yes, I know him. Aren’t he and the guy with glasses a couple?"
"Well, the problem lies with him," Gao Qin said helplessly. "This man had a wife before, but he divorced her decisively last year after she gave birth to their child.
"Not long ago, the child caught a cold. The mother didn’t think much of it initially. However, the more they treated the cold, the more problems arose. First, the child developed an enlarged thyroid, and then anemia.
"Especially in the last few days, many maculopapular rashes have appeared on the child’s body, and it’s becoming difficult to control."
Du Heng felt a sickening lurch in his stomach. Even without Gao Qin saying more, he already understood.
However, Gao Qin didn’t know what Du Heng was thinking and continued with what she knew. "The child’s mother became desperate and terrified, so she had no choice but to contact her ex-husband. It was only then that everyone discovered the truth: the ’tough guy,’ as it were, hadn’t contracted syphilis recently. He had been infected for a long time.
"Further examination revealed that his ex-wife was also a carrier of the TP virus, infected by him. Tragically, the child hadn’t been spared either.
"Moreover, due to a recent cold, the child’s immune system had weakened, allowing the virus in his body to flare up."
Du Heng’s emotions were in turmoil. He paced slowly in Gao Qin’s office, hands clasped behind his back. Why is it, he wondered, that just because I became the Dean of the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital, I have to deal with sick children all day long?
After pacing for a while, Du Heng asked Gao Qin again, "Has the diagnosis been confirmed?"
"It has been confirmed by the dermatology department of Provincial First Hospital."
"Then they should just keep the child there for treatment," Du Heng frowned slightly. "Can’t they cure congenital syphilis?"
Hearing Du Heng’s question, Gao Qin shook her head. "It’s mainly for two reasons. First, the child’s mother also needs treatment for syphilis, but she refuses to be treated at the same hospital as her ex-husband.
"Second, while congenital syphilis in children is curable, this particular child has already developed toxic sores, and his internal organs have been affected.
"So, even if the syphilis toxins are cleared, they can’t repair the damage to his organs. That’s why Provincial First Hospital recommended they seek your help, Dean, to see if the child’s damaged organs can be saved."
Gao Qin’s explanation effectively silenced any further complaints Du Heng might have voiced. He paced the floor a few more times, then turned towards the office door. "Director Gao, take me to see the child."
Hearing this, Gao Qin quickly got up and led Du Heng towards the ward.
The examination gave Du Heng a clear understanding of the pediatric patient’s condition. It also allowed him to clearly differentiate between adult-contracted syphilis and congenital syphilis.
Though both are caused by the Bayberry toxin, there’s a significant difference. Adult infection with the Bayberry virus is mainly due to insufficient original yang and weak original qi.
Take Yu Zhiwei, for example. His unrestrained lifestyle led to a rapid depletion of his vital energy, resulting in a swift onset of the disease with a high incidence of toxic sores. He had virtually no ability to resist the toxin.
Consider, on the other hand, Qi Xiaoqing and the ’tough guy’s’ ex-wife—especially his ex-wife. She had been infected for over two years, possibly longer.
However, because she lived a regular, restrained life and didn’t act recklessly, her original yang remained stable, and her true yin was preserved. Even after giving birth, she showed no signs of toxic sores.
Therefore, for adults to maintain good health, a regulated lifestyle, self-discipline, and good hygiene are essential. Even if they are unfortunately infected, I’m confident I can help them successfully detoxify with just three doses of medicine, Du Heng thought.
Childhood infection with the Bayberry virus, however, isn’t due to unstable original yang. Instead, the virus is transmitted in the womb; it’s ’born together’ with the child, so to speak.
Under normal circumstances, the Bayberry virus and the child exist in a kind of parasitic balance. But if a sudden external factor arises—such as a drop in the child’s immunity or an infection by another virus—this balance can be disrupted, causing the slow erosion to accelerate dramatically.
Therefore, treatment methods for children and adults must differ significantly.
Back in his office, Du Heng sat down and began to contemplate. For adults, fighting poison with poison and using drastic medicine is feasible, he mused. But that approach is unsuitable for children.
After a moment’s thought, Du Heng wrote down the first medicinal ingredient: honeysuckle. This herb is sweet and cold in nature, with a fragrant aroma. It clears heat, detoxifies pathogens, and importantly, it doesn’t harm the stomach, he considered. That last characteristic is absolutely crucial for a one-year-old child.
Next, Du Heng wrote ’ginseng’ below honeysuckle. Ginseng has many functions, but right now, I’m focused on one: its ability to enhance the body’s immune function. In other words, it replenishes both qi and blood.
This effect is paramount for a child already suffering from toxic sores. As long as his qi and blood are abundant, clearing the toxins won’t further damage his body. That should prevent other complications.
Having written these two, Du Heng paused again in deep thought. After a considerable time, he added the third ingredient: xanthate. This herb detoxifies, reduces swelling, cools the blood, stops bleeding, and can reduce goiters or nodules. It not only addresses the toxins in the child’s system but also provides symptomatic treatment for his enlarged thyroid.
With these three core ingredients decided, the tension on Du Heng’s face eased slightly. After a final moment of consideration, he added raw licorice and brocade rhododendron to the list.
And with that, Du Heng’s prescription for congenital syphilis in children was complete. This prescription should be broadly applicable for pediatric patients with congenital syphilis, he thought with satisfaction. During its use, the combination of medicinal ingredients likely won’t need adjustment, only slight modifications to the dosage based on the specific application.
