Chapter 867: line with translation of chapter title

Professor Yang Rui of the Gan Dan Wai Ke went out for clinic today.

He learned that the patient on the table suddenly developed a strange disease right after anesthesia, so he abandoned the clinic patients and rushed over.

Initially he thought it was due to medication, then the endotracheal tube had a problem, unable to mechanically ventilate, causing the patient's condition on the table.

But the Inpatient Chief reported that the endotracheal intubation was already completed, and the ventilator maintained good ventilation.

Yang Rui was now completely puzzled.

Anyway, he had to come see and join the rescue.

He abandoned the clinic and ran straight to the Operating Room at top speed. Because he was seeing outpatients today, only a simple surgery had been arranged, to be done by the Inpatient Chief.

Could this also go wrong? Damn, what bad luck!

He hastily changed clothes, tying his mask while running to the Shujian.

In Professor Yang's imagination, the Operating Room should be in chaos, with several people taking turns doing external chest compressions, and someone nearby holding a defibrillator, delivering intermittent shocks.

But when he arrived outside the Operating Room door, he saw a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Usually stern and dignified, the Head of Anesthesiology Department squatted on the ground, staring at the urine bag. Doctors and nurses were busy but orderly, replacing ice saline for physical cooling and pushing medications.

And the one directing the rescue was—Young Zheng Lao Ban!

What's going on? Professor Yang was instantly dazed.

With the Head of Anesthesiology Department present, how could Zheng Lao Ban take over and direct the rescue?

An Anesthesiology Department doctor rushed over and handed the lab report to Zheng Ren.

"Sodium bicarbonate, three vials, intravenous injection!" Zheng Ren glanced at it and immediately said.

When such an unconventional dosage was spoken, Professor Yang's heart fluttered a few times.

This is life‑or‑death!

But the nurses on site showed no hesitation, directly drawing three glass ampules of sodium bicarbonate into syringes and began pushing them in.

"Ventilator, increase the over‑ventilation volume a bit more!"

"Why hasn't the creatine kinase report come back yet? Hurry up and urge the lab!" Zheng Ren remained very calm, his eyes never leaving the patient's ECG monitor.

After administering the drugs and physical cooling, the patient's vital signs were sustained.

The temperature dropped from 41.2 °C to 38.5 °C.

But this wasn't over. Without dantrolene, everything we were doing merely maintained vital signs, and this maintenance is time‑limited.

Once the patient's condition collapses, a chain reaction will cause direct death, with no chance for rescue.

Professor Yang's mouth felt dry; from tension, his glands could no longer secrete saliva.

He came up beside Zheng Ren and whispered, "Zheng Lao Ban, what are you doing here?"

"Brother Yang, you're here." Zheng Ren said, "Please help check how much ice saline is left. Also, lend me an ice blanket with ice."

"……" Professor Yang froze, but he didn't refuse; since he didn't even understand the situation, he just took the task. When lives are at stake, even the Head of Anesthesiology Department is squatting there monitoring urine output—what more could I do?!

But he was puzzled, not knowing what had happened.

"Zheng Lao Ban, what disease is this?" Professor Yang asked in a lowered voice.

"Malignant hyperthermia." Zheng Ren said solemnly, "Change the ice blanket! How much ice is left?"

"!!!" Yang Rui's heart jolted.

He knew exactly what those four words meant. Although he had never truly encountered such a patient, once malignant hyperthermia occurs, patient death is highly probable.

"Dantrolene has been obtained; the helicopter will arrive in ten minutes!" The Head of Anesthesiology Department's phone rang; after he answered, a voice shouted from the other end.

"Hurry up."

"Notify the ICU to make the necessary preparations." Zheng Ren also heard the dantrolene news and said directly.

Someone went to inform the ICU, telling them to get ready.

Ventilators and such are secondary, because those are standard in the ICU. What's different is needing a large amount of ice saline and related rescue drugs, which must be notified in advance.

Although the situation hadn't improved, it hadn't worsened either.

The P wave that had disappeared on the patient's ECG monitor reappeared, and the high end‑tidal CO₂ level under excessive ventilator ventilation also improved.

The body's spasms and jerking, the board‑like rigidity, remained unchanged, but Zheng Ren didn't demand much—just maintain vital signs; everything would wait for dantrolene.

Ten minutes later, a doctor in a dark‑green rapid‑response suit, wearing a surgical gown over it and barefoot, rushed in. He didn't even have time to put on shoe covers—he just kicked off his shoes and burst inside.

He held dantrolene, holding the hope of life.

"Intravenous dantrolene 100 mg!" Zheng Ren stared at the unfamiliar box, all English, and said calmly.

A nurse took the dantrolene box and began preparing the IV injection.

"Is the dose enough?" Zheng Ren asked.

"Enough!"

"After the IV bolus, 10 mg/kg/h via a micro‑pump continuous infusion." Zheng Ren's heart finally settled.

Zheng Ren felt relieved.

The incident happened suddenly, but the Anesthesiology Department chief called in time, even skipping the 120 emergency ambulance and directly summoning a helicopter.

A helicopter rescue costs 30,000–50,000 per hour, a box of dantrolene over 20,000—this rescue really racked up the expenses.

But when faced with life, with an emergency rescue, nobody cares about such cost issues.

Having dantrolene is already a stroke of luck. This drug's shelf life is only one year and it must be imported. Within a year, given the surgical volume in Di Du, the chance of a malignant hyperthermia patient is even less than one case.

If it weren't for the similar research done by Xiehe Anesthesiology Department, the patient would surely have died.

Even if the route were longer and dantrolene arrived after more than twelve hours, the patient would also suffer from circulatory failure; insufficient skeletal muscle perfusion would prevent dantrolene from reaching its site of action to fully exert its muscle‑relaxing effect.

In that case, although rescue would still be possible, the patient's chance of survival would drop from about 90% to around 50%, and countless changes would ensue.

After intravenous dantrolene, a few minutes later the patient's muscular rigidity visibly eased.

"The ICU has been notified, they're ready over there!" a nurse came running and shouted.

"Push the stretcher, the anesthesiologist follows, make sure the volume of the airbag ventilation is large!" Zheng Ren said.

The head of the anesthesiology department had been squatting nearby observing urine output; seeing a flat cart being pushed over, he wanted to make space.

But his legs had already gone numb, he didn't stand up, and plopped down onto the ground.

Zheng Ren hurriedly pulled him up and slowly walked to the side.

There were enough hands, no need for Zheng Ren to help lift the patient. That side's patient was lifted onto the flat cart, the anesthesiologist sat beside the patient, body curled up…… Zheng Ren suddenly thought of Chu Yanran.

I really miss Hai Cheng.

"You are……" the head of the anesthesiology department asked, breaking Zheng Ren's reverie.