Chapter 3

When Qin Chuan arrived at the hospital entrance, a sudden honking sound came from behind him.

Qin Chuan turned around and saw Wu Xiaoming sitting in the car. Wu Xiaoming, a surgeon who had rotated to the emergency department, was naturally much better off than the newly hired Qin Chuan. It was said that he had bought a house in the best neighborhood in Tan Shan City and drove an imported car with a distinctive logo.

For some reason, Qin Chuan always felt that Wu Xiaoming was against him, but he couldn't figure out why.

Qin Chuan smiled and continued walking forward.

Wu Xiaoming, sitting in the car, gave Qin Chuan a contemptuous smile, then drove to the parking lot. The doctors at the hospital had designated parking spaces in the lot.

Qin Chuan went to the changing room, put on his white coat, and habitually hung his stethoscope around his neck. In the hospital, doctors who always wore stethoscopes around their necks were mostly emergency doctors, as only they had to race against death and couldn't afford any delays. Other specialist doctors didn't have such urgency.

"Qin Chuan, you're here?" He Xuedong, who hadn't yet finished his shift, greeted Qin Chuan warmly. Despite his rough face, large pores, and two big moles with long, thick hairs, He Xuedong was very friendly and took good care of the new arrival, Qin Chuan.

"Doctor He, how was the situation last night?" Qin Chuan asked.

"It was fine. A few patients with fevers came in last night, but after their fevers subsided, there were no major issues. They were discharged this morning. It was a relatively good night," He Xuedong said.

"Then there's no problem. You should quickly finish your shift and go home to rest," Qin Chuan said.

"Alright," He Xuedong replied.

Wu Xiaoming walked in and gave Qin Chuan a contemptuous look. He sat down at his desk with an air of superiority and turned on his computer.

Qin Chuan glanced at Wu Xiaoming but didn't bother to pay him any attention. He opened his computer and checked the electronic medical records of the emergency department. All the beds in the emergency department were full, and some temporary beds had been set up in the corridors and hall. Of course, this included the few "three-no" patients and one钉子户 (nail household).

The "three-no" patients referred to those who couldn't be treated, couldn't be cured, and couldn't go home. This was a long-standing issue in the emergency department. While they did have illnesses, they were incurable. The specialists refused to take them, and the patients' families didn't want them to be discharged. As a result, they remained in the emergency department, turning it into a makeshift hotel and occupying valuable beds.

This wasn't the worst part. The worst was the "nail household." Qin Chuan had heard about him as soon as he arrived. Yao Sihai occupied three beds and had been living in the emergency department for five years. He hadn't paid a single cent for medical expenses and refused to leave, leaving the hospital with no choice.

Qin Chuan glanced at these patients, but he knew this wasn't something he, as a regular doctor, could handle.

He Xiaokang walked in and said, "Qin, you're here early."

"My mom woke me up early this morning, afraid I would be late. She even prepared breakfast for me. What could I do?" Qin Chuan said with a smile.

Gao Zhanting, who had just walked in, joined the conversation: "Are you showing off your happiness? I wish someone would take care of me every day."

Gao Zhanting was from another city, far away, and had just graduated and joined the emergency department. She originally studied obstetrics and gynecology, but with the department already well-staffed, a new graduate with no experience (and no connections) had no chance of getting in.

"I really envy you, living alone and having so much freedom," Qin Chuan said sincerely.

"You, on the other hand, are clearly taking your blessings for granted. I don't want to argue with you. I need to go check on the patients," Gao Zhanting said, picking up her medical records and heading out the door.

At this moment, a sweet female voice came over the emergency department's intercom: "A patient has been brought in from the long-distance bus station, a 46-year-old woman. She is unresponsive and will arrive at our hospital in three minutes. Please have the emergency department doctors ready to receive her at the entrance."

The on-duty doctors in the emergency department immediately got up and headed to the emergency entrance.

As they reached the entrance, they could already hear the ambulance sirens.

The ambulance stopped, and the back doors opened.

The patient had been brought in by a concerned citizen who called 120, with no family members present. Therefore, no information about the patient was available, and it was impossible to determine if she had any medical history.

"Give me a hand!" Qin Chuan said.

The male doctors in the emergency department lifted the patient from the ambulance and rushed her to the emergency resuscitation room.

The patient's face was blue, and she did not respond to the doctors' calls.

The emergency department director, Cheng Guanhua, who had rushed over, asked, "What's the situation?"

"Respiratory arrest, no pulse in the major arteries, no heart sounds, blood pressure 0, fixed and dilated pupils with no light reflex. The diagnosis is sudden death, and CPR is indicated," Qin Chuan said after his examination.

"Then start CPR," Cheng Guanhua said.

Qin Chuan nodded and said, "Continuous external chest compressions; open the airway and use a bag-valve mask for artificial respiration. Establish an intravenous line and administer 1 mg of epinephrine, 1 mg of atropine, and 0.375 mg of coramine intravenously. Administer dopamine intravenously."

The doctors and nurses in the emergency department were well-practiced at this and worked together seamlessly. Without specific assignments, they immediately took on their respective tasks.

Continuous external chest compressions and mechanical ventilation were performed. Epinephrine 1 mg, atropine 1 mg, and coramine 0.375 mg were administered intravenously three times. Amiodarone 150 mg was also administered intravenously.

Next, intubation was performed. The intubation was successful, and a large amount of bloody secretions was suctioned from the tube. The patient was then connected to a ventilator for assisted breathing.

The emergency doctors took turns, and everyone was drenched in sweat. The resuscitation efforts continued for nearly half an hour. If the patient's heart did not restart, it would mean the resuscitation had failed, and the patient's life would slip away from Qin Chuan and the others.

"Come on!" Qin Chuan couldn't help but say.

At that moment, the ECG showed that the patient had intermittently regained spontaneous heart rhythm.

"Her heart is beating," Gao Zhanting said with surprise.

The external chest compressions continued, and Qin Chuan's forehead was drenched in sweat. Nurse Jiang Lingling quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead. However, this scene made Wu Xiaoming very unhappy. Wu Xiaoming had been pursuing Jiang Lingling for a long time, but she had always been lukewarm towards him. Instead, she treated the new arrival, Qin Chuan, very differently.