Surgery Godfather

Chapter 145: Chapter 0139: Perforation of Parietal Peritoneum_2

“I’ve already done that.” The middle-aged doctor was confident.

“We need to perform a cricothyroid membrane puncture or a tracheotomy immediately!” Yang Ping looked him in the eye.

The middle-aged doctor did not stop compressing, his gaze showed hesitation.

In such a critical situation, both cricothyroid puncture and tracheotomy are invasive. If the assessment is wrong, it could lead to complications or even cause trouble if the patient does not survive.

Although the law exempts medical professionals from legal responsibility in such emergency situations, things are often more complicated than they seem. Serving as a doctor for so many years, he had seen it all.

The doctor exchanged glances with Yang Ping, stepping aside to give Yang Ping space. Yang Ping immediately stopped him: “You continue with compressions, I’ll perform the cricothyroid puncture!”

Compressions can help the heart pump blood, delivering the residual oxygen in the bloodstream to vital organs, especially the brain as it can withstand oxygen deprivation for only four minutes. If breathing isn’t restored within ten minutes, irreversible brain damage happens.

“Quick, I need a small knife and a clean straw! A sharp knife or small scissors would work; for the straw, an ordinary size should suffice.” Yang Ping shouted to the crowd.

He had initially thought of applying alcohol or high-proof liquor to sterilize the knife for throat disinfection. But locating these items would require precious time. In an emergency case like acute laryngeal edema which leads to completely blocked airways, the patient could die within a few minutes. To save time, the sterilization step was omitted.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

A small knife and straw were easily found in the crowd. A Swiss Army knife was handed to Yang Ping, and the waiter brought a handful of straws of varying sizes from the counter.

Xiao Su took the knife and selected the appropriate straw, ready to assist Yang Ping.

A small pair of scissors was also handed over to Xiao Su.

The Hotpot restaurant’s manager was sweating profusely, fearing the ensuing trouble this incident might bring.

Yang Ping quickly constructed an anatomical image of the throat in his mind.

With tentative touch of fingers, Yang Ping located the spot between the thyroid and the epiglottis where the cricothyroid membrane lies.

Xiao Su handed the knife to him, and with precision, Yang Ping inserted it into the identified spot. After an initial feeling of emptiness, once the scalpel reached the trachea, he swiftly withdrew it and gently inserted the straw.

The straw had been trimmed by Xiao Su, the sharp ends removed, and one end bent at an angle to make insertion easier.

With these precautions, the tube was easily slipped into the trachea without causing any injury.

The blockage caused by laryngeal edema was bypassed by puncturing the trachea below the obstruction and creating an artificial pathway for airflow.

Successful ventilation! The sound of air flowing mimicked a quiet whistle. Yang Ping palpated the carotid artery, gazing at the patient whose pallor slowly returned to a healthier hue.

Seeing this, the middle-aged doctor halted chest compressions.

“An acute laryngeal edema caused by an allergic reaction. Keep her flat and still, wait for the ambulance.” After doing all he could, Yang Ping stayed on the scene.

The pulse at the carotid artery was now palpable, indicating that the initial signs of shock were not very severe despite the swollen throat.

“Any further assistance needed?” asked the middle-aged doctor, filled with admiration for his peer’s competence.

Yang Ping answered, “No, we wait for the ambulance now.”

“I’ve already dialed 120!” said the girl’s boyfriend, crying. Being youthful and naive, he wept like a child.

Flushed with embarrassment, the middle-aged doctor admired the younger doctor’s bravery. His quick judgment and decisive action saved the situation. However, he himself had been excessively cautious. Oh! How the passion faded over the years, and the courage diminished!

Watching Yang Ping handle the situation with such calm and without showing any panic, brought forth feelings of reverence and pride in his profession.

The middle-aged doctor hadn’t felt this deep sense of professional pride and honor for a long time, which now seemed to be finding their way back to him.

Such a sense of mission had only been experienced when he first entered medical school and took the Hippocratic Oath.

“Thank you, I’m familiar with the cricothyroid membrane puncture procedure, but my judgment was not accurate; even if it had been, I wouldn’t have dared to use the procedure; even if I did, I wouldn’t have had your expertise, to finish it off with just a knife and a straw. I’d be searching frantically for a needle, or at least for a ball-point pen or a fountain pen.” The doctor confessed, filled with regret.

“You’re right, a decision to use such invasive procedures can sometimes be hard to make.” Yang Ping understood him, realizing that not everyone had his level of confidence.

“This doctor is really amazing!”

“I admire doctors the most.”

“If it hadn’t been for the doctor eating here, the girl would have been in big trouble. She is really lucky.”

“Yes, how could this suddenly happen.”

“Life is full of uncertainties.”

Among the quiet chattering of the crowd, some returned to their tables to continue eating.

Yang Ping checked the patient again. Her skin was covered in quite a few hives. How could she have had an allergic reaction?

There were cases of people allergic to penicillin who developed allergies after eating residual penicillin in chicken, fish, or other food products, but these circumstances were very rare.

The cause of the allergy had to be left for the hospital to judge. As it could affect the reputation of the restaurant, Yang Ping could not jump to conclusions.

Although Yang Ping analyzed this in his mind, nothing was said out loud.

Finally, the paramedics arrived. The physician, nurse and the emergency personnel rushed to the scene with a stretcher.

“What’s the situation?” The physician immediately inquired.

“Acute laryngeal edema. As you can see, there are hives all over her body. Possible contact with an allergen caused a Type 1 hypersensitivity reaction. I have performed a cricothyroid membrane puncture with a straw, bypassing the airway. No disinfection process was carried out during the operation.”

Yang Ping briefly explained the situation, the physician checked the patient, and confirmed, “Alright, leave her to us! It must be an allergic reaction! Adrenaline–”

The physician immediately ordered a nurse to administer the drug. The nurse had already established an IV line, with a bag of saline attached.

After the adrenaline was injected, the patient was moved onto a stretcher. The paramedics lifted the stretcher. The physician said to Yang Ping and the middle-aged doctor, “Thank you for your help, you did an amazing job!”

The patient was taken away in an ambulance. Someone else had also called 110 and the police arrived. The manager of the hotpot restaurant, several eyewitnesses, as well as Yang Ping and the middle-aged doctor, were questioned by the police. Phone numbers were taken down to aid further inquiry.

The police preserved the hotpot that the patient had eaten, taking it away for lab tests to rule out food poisoning.

Seeing this, most of the crowd dared not continue eating, initially thinking it was just a sudden illness.

Now that the remainder of the patient’s hotpot had been taken away by the police, no one dared to eat. Some even felt dizzy, while others contemplated visiting a hospital.

As everyone dispersed, Yang Ping and Xiao Su decided to head back. Yang Ping drove, with Xiao Su next to him on the passenger seat, heading back to the hospital.

Once back at the hospital and out of the underground parking, Xiao Su handed a bag to Yang Ping as they parted. It contained what Xiao Su had claimed to be clothes for her family.

“You did great today, this is a reward for you. Wear it for the consultation meeting on Tuesday,” Xiao Su said, her face flushing, exuding shyness.

Yang Ping took the bag, slightly taken aback. Wasn’t this meant for her family?

“How do you know my size?” Yang Ping naively asked.

“Taking a page from your book!” Xiao Su turned around.

Waving goodbye to Yang Ping, she said, “Rest early!”