Chapter 703: Chapter 703: Clear Clue
Old Yang had driven ambulances his entire life, from the Jinbei Grace to the rcedes 416, the evolution of his vehicles bearing witness to the growth of An Yang City’s EMSS over the years.
This ti, Old Yang was driving a rcedes 214, which had ample power and could reach top speeds of 200 kiloters per hour, but it also consud a considerable amount of fuel.
This kind of vehicle wasn’t cheap at all; a set of original rcedes ambulance series would cost over 1.4 million yuan, and that was just the standard configuration!
Of course, it wasn’t just about the price of the vehicle; it also included oxygen supply equipnt, air disinfection and circulation support, ECG monitoring, ventilators, defibrillators… all sorts of specialized equipnt.
Generally speaking, those who could afford an ambulance weren’t necessarily luxury manufacturers, but they were usually pretty reliable; dostic Jinbei was also considered a well-established brand.
However… the defects of the rcedes 214 were also quite apparent—average suspension, great for urban ergency responses, very agile!
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But on these mountain roads, Chen Cang felt a bit like he was floating…
The performance of the rcedes couldn’t be fully utilized, and even in terms of steering and flexibility it wasn’t as good as the dostic Jinbei.
Trekking mountain roads in an ambulance actually posed a hefty challenge for ambulance drivers!
Xiaolin, sitting in the passenger seat, was okay, but Chen Cang, sitting in the back of the vehicle, felt a bit light on his feet after stepping out.
The director of the Nanqiao Township Health Center was already waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing Chen Cang and the others disembark, his face lit up with joy, and he hurried over to greet them!
“Expert, hello!” The director was very enthusiastic; his constant reference to Chen Cang as an “expert” left Chen Cang feeling a little uncomfortable.
After so pleasantries, they headed straight inside.
The developnt of this township health center was quite decent; a four-story inpatient building looked sowhat imposing.
Chen Cang followed the director upstairs, while Old Yang went to turn the ambulance around, getting ready for transport.
If he and Chen Cang were out on a call together, he would follow and assist. In situations where they weren’t short-handed, Old Yang preferred not to interject.
Xiaolin obediently carried the ergency kit, closely following behind Chen Cang.
With several years of experience in ergency care, Xiaolin’s capabilities extended beyond those of a nurse. To be honest, Xiaolin’s resuscitation skills might even surpass those of the director here.
The second floor was for cardiology, and the group entered the patient’s room.
Chen Cang finally saw the patient, a seventy-one-year-old lady, who was lying in bed with the head raised, breathing rapidly and panting non-stop!
Her tired eyes were closed and her rough, hurried breaths could be mistaken for snores or sothing else.
She had an oxygen tube in her nostrils and looked pale and in pain!
With this first glance, Chen Cang sensed that the situation was perhaps not as simple as he had thought!
At that thought, Chen Cang’s mind imdiately considered the possibility of heart failure.
Elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction could potentially experience acute heart failure during an episode.
The attending physician was a young man younger than Chen Cang; yet, judging by his oily appearance, he seed to have been working for quite so ti.
But naturally, Chen Cang didn’t feel the need to demand too much from him. After all, frankly speaking, not many young people were willing to work in a health center nowadays; what more could one ask for?
Chen Cang had intended to ask about the patient’s condition, but after a mont’s consideration, he went straight to the elderly woman’s bedside, lifted the blanket and examined her legs and feet.
The family mber present was a rural woman, likely her daughter-in-law, who was taking ticulous care of her.
Typically, patients with right heart failure would exhibit edema, but the elderly woman showed no such signs: no swollen legs, and her face showed little evidence of puffiness.
Chen Cang noted that the elderly woman’s sitting breathing didn’t seem characteristic of soone with right heart failure.
It was more indicative of a typical left heart failure, exemplified by difficulty in breathing and orthopnea.
Chen Cang didn’t continue his examination; at that mont, the woman opened her eyes and smiled at seeing Chen Cang.
She had the kind smile of a benevolent old lady.
Upon seeing her, Chen Cang couldn’t help but first ask a few simple questions, such as her age, how well she slept, and so on.
The old man’s response was very clear.
Chen Cang also quietly nodded, conscious, thinking clearly, ntally alert, that was sowhat reassuring.
Only then did Chen Cang continue to inquire about the dical history.
Seven days ago, a sudden heart attack occurred, and he was promptly taken to the hospital. Since yesterday morning, he began to experience difficulty breathing and was able to lie flat, but he found it more comfortable to lie in a semi-upright position. However, he felt chest tightness and shortness of breath all night, unable to sleep, so the old man was visibly restless and sowhat irritable!
First, Chen Cang comforted the old man, then asked the family mbers to help the old man lie down properly.
Chen Cang picked up the stethoscope and started auscultation!
At the apex of the heart, he could hear the typical systolic murmur, and there were also wet crackles at the base of both lungs!
Chen Cang imdiately frowned!
Sothing’s wrong?
This was not a sign of heart failure?
Initially, according to the old man’s description and the family’s statents, all signs were pointing towards left heart failure.
But after listening, Chen Cang felt that although it could not be ruled out, it probably was not the main cause!
Thinking this, Chen Cang asked Xiaolin to asure the blood pressure and oxygen saturation.
“Blood pressure 120/80mmHg!”
“Heart rate 100 beats per minute!”
“Blood oxygen 95!”
Chen Cang looked at the old man, “Have you ever had heart disease before? Or hypertension or anything like that…?”
The old man shook his head.
The daughter-in-law also said, “He’s always been very strong, had five sons and two daughters!”
Chen Cang was taken aback; seven siblings, though it proved nothing… he must have been quite robust!
With that thought, Chen Cang turned to the attending physician, “Give the dical records.”
The attending physician was very cooperative, “Okay, okay, just a mont!”
It wasn’t long before he ca back with the dical record file.
Chen Cang saw that there were about seven or eight ECGs, done daily. On admission, there were two typical ST segnt elevation in a saddleback shape, typical of acute myocardial infarction waveforms.
But… in the following days, one ECG a day, although the chest pain had subsided, the patient’s ST segnt did not show a falling trend.
What exactly was going on?
If we cannot make a definite diagnosis now, we definitely can’t hit the road!
At that mont, the old man’s children also arrived, five strapping n entered, and Chen Cang turned to look at each one of them, towering and robust, and suddenly felt this too was a mother’s pride.
“Doctor, please hurry and send him to Anyang,” said the eldest of the sons.
Chen Cang shook his head, “Wait a mont, the old man’s condition is not stable, and the journey is long. I’m worried there will be complications. We need to stabilize his symptoms first, at the very least get a definitive diagnosis!”
The family, hearing Chen Cang’s words, fell silent.
In the eyes of the villagers, the expert from the provincial capital must be right and didn’t want to act smarter than they were.
On the contrary, those who half-understood and ard themselves with Baidu to argue with the doctor were even more troubleso!
At this ti, Chen Cang placed his hand on the strongest point of the apex beat and continued to feel it, a thrill?!
This signal imdiately made Chen Cang sowhat unexpectedly delighted!
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