Chapter 446: Inquiring About Medical History

A middle-aged male patient and a Family Member entered together with Zhai Yuhan; they were not the patients waiting at the door.

"Sit down," Yang Zhuren said, leaning back in his chair and offering a professional smile to the patient and the Family Member.

Facing the camera, the patient was visibly constrained and nervous, even though Zhai Yuhan had spoken with him privately beforehand and provided some psychological preparation.

"Zhao Yisheng, you come and take the medical history," Yang Zhuren said.

Zhao Mengmeng immediately fell into a state of confusion again, like a little fawn lost in the woods, so nervous she was flustered.

She had never taken a medical history before; all her knowledge was derived from books, and from the first day she entered the Clinical setting, she knew she wasn't up to the task.

Adding the buff of the camera and her own embarrassing performance in the program broadcast last night, Zhao Mengmeng was even more at a loss.

She had been prepared, but once that wave of nervousness hit, her mind went completely blank.

After a few seconds of silence, Zhao Mengmeng didn't speak, Yang Zhuren didn't speak, and Ji Xiang kept his mouth shut, behaving well and respecting Yang Zhuren's arrangements.

"Um... how long have you been feeling uncomfortable?" Zhao Mengmeng asked, stammering.

She was even more nervous than the patient, which made the patient pause in surprise.

"The abdominal pain started two years ago, but it wasn't severe. A year ago..."

The patient was diagnosed with Gallstones and was scheduled for surgery on the operating day tomorrow; these questions had been asked long ago, so he answered quite quickly.

It looked as if the patient understood more and was more professional than Zhao Mengmeng.

Zhao Mengmeng asked questions intermittently for three minutes, completely lacking any system, which made Yang Zhuren frown.

"Past medical history, you didn't ask about the past medical history," Yang Zhuren said.

"Oh, oh, oh," Zhao Mengmeng hurriedly replied, "Do you have any past illnesses?"

In the Review Room, the guests all wore playful smiles on their faces.

After a few days of contact and one episode of the program, the guests all knew that Zhao Mengmeng was a top student, but only a top student.

She might be the better one when it came to theoretical knowledge, but she was completely unable to apply it in a Clinical setting.

Just one episode in, the guests who were not from the medical field increasingly believed the old saying—the older the Doctor, the more valuable they are.

Clinical experience is the most precious thing for a Doctor.

Even for a Surgeon who is so old they can no longer hold a Scalpel steadily, it is the same.

"Zhao Mengmeng still lacks experience."

"A Doctor who has just arrived in the Clinical setting usually needs at least one year to barely be able to shoulder Clinical work," Professor Shen explained. "As for how fast or slow, it depends on individual Comprehension and whether the Doctor themselves is attentive."

"Teacher Shen, being a Doctor is truly difficult," one guest sighed. "Last season, I saw the Interns at a law firm could do a lot of basic work. But in the hospital, a Doctor who has just arrived in the Clinical setting seems unable to do anything."

He looked at Zhao Mengmeng, who had a blank expression and was about to cry from anxiety, and felt pity.

"Medicine is very complex. To be honest, I consider myself only at an elementary school level," Professor Shen said sincerely. "As for Zhao Mengmeng, she still needs time to grow."

After another few minutes, Zhao Mengmeng was at a loss for words.

What is written in books and the actual process of asking a patient for their medical history on-site are two different routines that simply cannot be combined.

"Ji Xiang, you come," Yang Zhuren said, not wanting to make things too difficult for Zhao Mengmeng, and let Ji Xiang begin the consultation.

Ji Xiang followed a very methodical routine, asking questions while taking notes on paper.

Three minutes later, Ji Xiang finished asking and began to report.

Yang Zhuren nodded frequently.

It was very clear that Ji Xiang had once again proven his level was far beyond that of an Intern; his medical history taking and reporting were detailed and appropriate, possessing the style of a seasoned, experienced Doctor.

"Ji Xiang spoke very well. The patient's diagnosis is clear: Gallstones, scheduled for surgery tomorrow," Yang Zhuren concluded. "The issue is whether our prior preparation is sufficiently thorough."

"For example, the patient has a history of Hyperthyroidism and is taking medication to control it before surgery. If the patient is fasting from food and water before surgery, do they still need to take the medication?

If this isn't explained and the patient stops the medication for a few days, they might experience thyroid dysfunction post-surgery, such as insomnia, irritability, or fever. If one didn't know about the history of Hyperthyroidism, it would be very tricky."

"At that point, the patient and the Family Member would likely not think of Hyperthyroidism, and the Doctor wouldn't either; they would only assume it was a post-surgical infection."

Yang Zhuren had clearly experienced similar cases, and he spoke with great authority.

These are all Clinical experiences, gained step by step.

Experience can be passed from one Doctor to another, preventing more patients from becoming 'experience' themselves; this is the significance of a senior Doctor guiding the work.

Although Ji Xiang had asked about the past medical history, he listened very carefully, not looking confused like Zhao Mengmeng.

"Alright, go back," Yang Zhuren stood up to see the patient out, comforting him as they walked, "It's just a minor surgery. You'll be able to get out of bed the second day after surgery. Don't be nervous, or it will cause endocrine disorders and add variables to your recovery. Take your medicine on time. I told you not to eat or drink, but taking medicine with a small sip of water doesn't count."

"Thank you, thank you," the patient said repeatedly.

The scene was harmonious.

Yang Zhuren sent the Gallstones patient to the door, and two middle-aged male patients who had been waiting for a long time approached with their scans.

"Zhuren."

Yang Zhuren hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Come in."

He turned and said to Fan Dao, "Fan Dao, this is a very tricky patient; it's not suitable."

"Yang Zhuren, you go ahead with your work. We'll just record it; whether it can be broadcast depends on your opinion. If you say no, we will definitely cut it."

Fan Dao's words satisfied Yang Zhuren. Medicine is very complex and involves many aspects, especially patient privacy and medical ethics when facing a patient with an incurable condition.

If it were just casually put on the internet, even if he did the right thing, he would be torn apart by trolls.

Yang Zhuren brought the patient back and said, "The patient knows his own situation; it is late-stage Liver Cancer. He had a surgery two years ago to remove the left lobe and tail lobe of the liver. Now there is a Tumor of about 10cm in the right lobe. Who among you will come and take the medical history?"

"Yang Zhuren, shall I?" Ji Xiang asked.

"Alright," Yang Zhuren said, "This is Doctor Ji Xiang; let him take the medical history first."

Ji Xiang did not ask a question directly, but instead reached out to take the film envelope from the Patient's hand and walked over to the film viewer.

Arranging them in chronological order, Ji Xiang first picked up the last film to take a look, then carefully reviewed the films one by one in chronological order from earliest to latest.

……

……

In the Review Room, a guest was puzzled.

"Teacher Shen, isn't it time to ask about the medical history?"

"The films are also a part of the Patient's medical history; understanding the Patient's clinical course first makes asking about the medical history twice as effective with half the effort," Professor Shen explained, "This is a very seasoned approach, but there is a prerequisite."

"What prerequisite?"

"The Doctor must be able to understand the films."

(End of chapter)