System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

”Let’s go, Xiao Lu, I’ll help you!~”

”Look at me, do you think I have enough strength?” Lin Qianlong didn’t stand on ceremony with Lu Cheng at all and just jumped in.

He’s an associate chief physician, sharing the stage with Lu Cheng, so the responsibility won’t be entirely on Lu Cheng.

Of course, the main reason is Lu Cheng’s recent display of professional knowledge, which makes Lin Qianlong feel he has to step in to fulfill his role as the director of the emergency department.

However, Lin Qianlong is worried that he might not have enough strength.

Orthopedic doctors are famously known for their strength.

Lu Cheng heard this and chuckled, ”Director Lin, this patient’s reduction doesn’t require much force. I’m using the Kocher method. You just need to lend a hand casually.”

”I’ll wait until I finish writing the medical instructions. Besides, we don’t have a template for joint manual reduction here, so I still need to write one from scratch, which will take a bit of time...”

”Director Lin, it’s not good to leave the patient unattended for so long; could you please help stabilize the patient’s emotions for a while?”

Creating a new template from scratch takes time, even if a universal template can be set up quickly.

During this time, it’s best not to leave the patient feeling neglected.

Of course, Lu Cheng suggested this also to give Lin Qianlong a sense of presence, making him feel important.

Leaders, superiors, and veteran colleagues fear being redundant, indicating they’re not needed.

”Alright, I’ll go talk to the patient.” Lin Qianlong knew it was time to exercise his authority as the director.

The most classic shoulder dislocation reduction technique in orthopedics is the foot traction method. However, since Lin Qianlong didn’t ask why he chose not to use that technique, Lu Cheng didn’t deliberately explain that the Kocher method is less labor-intensive and safer.

...

It took Lu Cheng twenty minutes to create a new informed consent template for joint dislocation manual reduction. After saving it in the template area, he filled in the patient’s basic information to build the framework.

The surgical (procedure) risk informed consent form was thus completed. After printing it out, Lu Cheng took it to the patient.

Director Lin had already persuaded the couple before Lu Cheng arrived, so when Lu Cheng reiterated the surgical risks, they signed and paid without much hesitation.

”The arm sling is quite cheap; it doesn’t vary much between county hospitals, probably around twenty to thirty yuan. But the manual reduction procedure for joint dislocation is priced at 220 per case in our hospital.”

Lu Cheng explained to the couple.

”Okay, Dr. Lu, just print us the payment slip. I hope we don’t end up needing open reduction in the operating room,” the girl said with some worry, anticipating Lu Cheng’s response.

”We’ll do our best. Actually, your dislocation is one of the simplest in shoulder dislocations, so it’s promising,” Lu Cheng explained with a smile:

”Since you’re in the medical field, you know there’s nothing that’s 100% certain, right?”

The girl nodded and then followed Lu Cheng and Lin Qianlong into the operating room.

”During the manual reduction of the joint dislocation, you might experience the fright response, meaning the pain will gradually increase. Please bear with it; it won’t last long.”

”Once the reduction is done, the pain will immediately subside...” Lu Cheng explained to the girl while instructing Lin Qianlong to help hold the scapula for stabilization.

”Okay, Dr. Lu!~” The girl felt confident in Lu Cheng’s orderly manner, absent of any unnecessary preoperative chatter, and trusted him as a professional orthopedic doctor, more than many other doctors she had encountered.

Lu Cheng began the procedure, and after about two minutes, when her pain reached a peak, the girl let out a painful scream.

Simultaneously, a ’click’ was heard, signaling the joint had returned to the cavity.

Lu Cheng signaled for Lin Qianlong to let go, and he slowly released the pressure to bring the girl’s left arm back to her side.

The girl closed her eyes, squeezing out a tear from the corner of her eye, feeling a bit aggrieved since it was supposed to be a sweet time on Valentine’s Day...

”Alright, it should be back in place now. How do you feel?” Lu Cheng patiently waited for about half a minute until the girl had calmed down before asking.

The girl sniffled, ”It doesn’t seem to hurt anymore.”

”Great. Try lifting your left hand. Director Lin, could you record it? Please don’t capture her face,” Lu Cheng handed over his phone.

Lu Cheng began assessing her range of motion: ”Lift sideways over the shoulder, 120°, good, lift over the head. Avoid adduction; since it’s just been reduced, there’s a chance of redislocation...”

”I think it’s a satisfactory reduction. We’ll put an arm sling, do a follow-up shoulder X-ray, and you can go home safely.”

”Make sure to wear the arm sling at all times, except for bathing, for the next two weeks, and return for follow-up afterward, okay...”

”If you’re really afraid of pain and willing to take some medication, you can take some painkillers and anti-inflammatories home.”

”Okay, thank you, Dr. Lu.” The girl nodded in agreement.

...

Half an hour later, the girl stormed out alone.

”Don’t touch me, Du Hongdong, we’re done. You don’t respect me at all.”

”Don’t touch me; if you do it again, I’ll call the police...” The couple hadn’t even reached the emergency department’s entrance when the girl’s expression completely changed.

”I’m sorry, baby... I really know I was wrong.”

”You make me sick. Don’t call me!~” The girl stormed out.

Lin Qianlong was taken aback by the couple’s sudden outburst.

He glanced at Lu Cheng, who squinted and smiled, ”Director Lin, this girl didn’t have an ordinary traumatic shoulder dislocation; it was a ’recreational’ shoulder dislocation.”

Lu Cheng gave it a unique name.

Lin Qianlong immediately realized, ”Youth indeed has its charms.”

He didn’t care if the couple would break up. As a doctor, his job is to relieve patients’ pain and remove illness; beyond that, he can’t provide any additional support.

[Successfully performed manual reduction, provided painkillers and anti-inflammatories to alleviate the patient’s inflammation and edema response, reducing the pain burden on sensitive patients, earning Skill Points 0.8!]

Lu Cheng looked at the disproportionate effort-to-reward ratio but didn’t feel it was a loss.

Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. Even if he can’t use the technique now, it might be useful later.

Lu Cheng then looked at another item.

[Xu’s Bone Setting Skill (Fracture Volume) (Beginner 2/5)]

Looking at his meager 1 Skill Point, he could only sigh: Take it slow...

Lu Cheng still had to stay in the emergency integrated ward, while Lin Qianlong left.

However, before leaving, Lin Qianlong took the initiative to call Peng Haibo: ”Director Peng, thank you.”

”If there’s a joint dislocation in your department that you can’t handle in the future, don’t hesitate to call us for a consultation.” Lin Qianlong’s tone wasn’t very polite either.

Peng Haibo was puzzled: ”Director Lin, what do you mean?”

Lin Qianlong replied innocently: ”Director Peng, it’s nothing really, just that Xiao Lu is a professional orthopedic doctor. Our emergency department is a melting pot, scraping by, so please don’t mind.”

”Is it Lu Cheng? What did he do?” Peng Haibo quickly caught on and felt a bit anxious.