Chapter 687: Come, Smell the Scent of Rotten Apples

"Doctor Zhao, why are there so many surgeries within the group?" Seeing that Ji Xiang was not around, Lin Jiuze began to chat with Zhao Zhe.

Zhao Zhe shuddered, as if he had been startled.

But after spending some time together, Zhao Zhe had gradually become accustomed to someone suddenly speaking beside him, and he no longer reacted as intensely as he once did.

"This is quite normal," Zhao Zhe replied. "Xiao Ji participated in a variety show, and the coverage was so extensive that he popularized a lot of relevant content, letting others know about the existence of interventional surgery..."

"No, that is not what I meant." After thinking for a moment, Lin Jiuze brought up the old topic again. "A few years ago, the Japanese medical community conducted a survey. The data showed that the average time for a cancer patient in Japan from discovery to surgery was 2 months and 3 days, significantly leading Europe and the United States."

"Hmm?" Zhao Zhe was a bit confused; he stared blankly at Lin Jiuze.

He had just talked about this matter not long ago.

"I see... for example, this patient. A physical examination 4 days ago discovered a space-occupying lesion in the kidney, and today they are hospitalized for surgery." Lin Jiuze pointed at the computer screen, speaking about the medical record in front of them.

"Isn't this... quite normal?" Zhao Zhe and Lin Jiuze were not on the same wavelength; he couldn't understand what Lin Jiuze was talking about at all.

Lin Jiuze was also helpless; talking to Zhao Zhe about this was like a chicken talking to a duck.

"At Massachusetts, similar patients have to wait 3 months; the average is around 4 months."

"Damn!" Zhao Zhe was surprised. "Why so long? Isn't Massachusetts General Hospital one of the top three hospitals in the world?"

"Queuing."

"Uh... what if it metastasizes?"

"That is the call of God."

Lin Jiuze's words made Zhao Zhe feel particularly helpless. He thought for a long time, scratched his head, and finally smiled, not knowing what to say.

"Zhao Ge!" Ji Xiang suddenly ran back in a hurry.

"What's wrong, Xiao Ji!" Zhao Zhe stood up immediately.

Ji Xiang was running!

In the ward area, who would run around if there wasn't an emergency? Running, in order to save time, the only reason is—there is an emergency patient!

"Emergency Department!" Ji Xiang didn't have time to explain in detail. After saying only these three words, he turned and ran.

A major emergency rescue. Zhao Zhe grimaced and sighed.

Xiao Ji really was full of energy; why did he like the Emergency Department so much?

Orthopedics Department generally does not participate in major emergency rescues.

Even if there are traumas like fractures, they belong to the category of "wait and see," while departments involving internal organs, such as Hepatobiliary, Gastrointestinal, Cardiothoracic, and Neurosurgery, take priority.

Even if it is just a fracture, as long as it hasn't pierced the skin, it will be fine for 24 hours; there is no need to rush into surgery.

He doesn't know how to enjoy a good life, Zhao Zhe muttered to himself about Ji Xiang.

Zhao Zhe trotted to try and catch up with Ji Xiang, but Ji Xiang was tall with long legs; one step of his was worth two of Zhao Zhe's. Zhao Zhe hadn't even caught up to Ji Xiang by the time he reached the Emergency Department.

Outside the door of the Emergency Rescue Room, one could see a bunch of people wearing White Uniforms peering inside.

It's over, Zhao Zhe thought to himself.

There is a joke that says patients going to the operating room should actually hope that the doctors and nurses are chatting and laughing, as that means the surgery is simple, or at the very least, there were no slip-ups.

If everyone is deadly serious, and various old doctors and old Experts are coming and going for consultations, one can probably prepare to go to the ICU, or even consider calling a priest.

Right now, it is...

Wait!

After taking a look, Zhao Zhe felt something was wrong. When Ji Xiang stopped, he finally caught up to him, bending over and holding his knees while panting heavily.

At this moment, Zhao Zhe also realized what was wrong.

"Xiao... Xiao... Ji... huff huff huff~" Because his body was a bit weak, Zhao Zhe's bronchial tubes had already started to spasm after running several hundred meters.

"Zhao Ge, your health. How about I take you for a morning run in the future?" Ji Xiang didn't go in either; he stood outside peering in.

Zhao Zhe saw the problem.

The doctors peering in were all relatively young, and there were a few old doctors inside the Emergency Rescue Room who didn't look nervous at all.

They were even chatting and laughing in a relaxed manner.

"What... what is the situation?"

"I received a call from Meng Laoshi saying that the Emergency Department encountered a patient with ketoacidosis."

"!!!" Zhao Zhe was speechless.

Ketoacidosis, what the hell is there to see about that.

The key was that Meng Qingfei had specifically called Ji Xiang, and other departments at the Second Affiliated Hospital also seemed quite interested in this.

What a nuisance!

"Meng Laoshi said the patient's breath has the typical smell of rotten apples!" Ji Xiang said. "He hasn't encountered such a typical case in over a decade, and he's driving over right now."

"Oh?!" Hearing Ji Xiang say this, Zhao Zhe also suddenly perked up.

Books say that the breath of a patient with ketoacidosis will be mixed with the smell of rotten apples.

But he had never encountered it himself. Although Zhao Zhe was an old Attending Physician with rich clinical experience, whether or not one encounters certain things depends on luck.

With the improvement of people's living standards and the strengthening of medical awareness, although ketoacidosis is not uncommon, it is now very rare to see a diabetic patient who can exhale the scent of rotten apples.

At least Zhao Zhe had never encountered a similar situation.

So that was it; then it was indeed worth coming to take a look.

Ji Xiang didn't rush straight in, dying to get close to the patient's mouth to smell the rotten apple scent; instead, he stood at the door and observed.

This involved the psychological state of the emergency patient and their Family Member; one cannot just barge in regardless of how others feel just because one wants to accumulate a little clinical experience.

An Internal Medicine doctor walked out, and Ji Xiang stopped her.

"Teacher, how is the patient?"

"Not bad, they have already been admitted to the hospital. The Chief Resident from the ICU will come to push them back in a while. It is estimated that they will need about 3 days of treatment before they can be transferred out; there shouldn't be any life-threatening danger."

"May I go in and take a look?" Ji Xiang asked in a low voice.

The Emergency Internal Medicine Doctor smiled; she and Ji Xiang could be considered familiar with each other, as Ji Xiang had come to "join in the fun" every time he caught Meng Qingfei's shift during this period.

"Go ahead, smell the rotten apple scent," the Emergency Internal Medicine Doctor said, "I even think that smell is quite pleasant."

"Heh." Ji Xiang smiled and walked inside.

To Ji Xiang's surprise, the Patient was very young, only about 20 years old; by the looks of it, they should be a university student.

Several "Family Members" were of the same age; they should be classmates from the same dormitory.

The Patient looked somewhat listless, lying on the emergency gurney, and Ji Xiang leaned in.

He took a deep breath, the act of breathing drawing the odor of ketoacidosis into his nasal cavity.

Absorption by the epithelial mucosa then diffused to the cilia of the olfactory cells, where a special olfactory receptor on the cilia bound with the odor of ketoacidosis, subsequently generating a second messenger substance that caused calcium channels to open.

Sodium ions and potassium ions entered the cell, while the olfactory cell underwent depolarization and generated an action potential, which was transmitted to the olfactory bulb and then to the olfactory center, thereby triggering a sense of smell within Ji Xiang's brain.

It really was the smell of rotten apples!

(End of chapter)