"Dean, no matter what, let me take a look first. What do you think?"
Hu Meiqiao assumed Lu Xuan understood her meaning. She glanced at the patient's family encircling her and agreed without much thought, "Alright, Lu, give it a try."
"But..."
Hu Meiqiao looked at the patient's wife, Ms. Wu, "Ms. Wu, I can understand your difficulties. Coming to find Dr. Lu is a great honor for both our Health Center and Dr. Lu, but I must make it clear that our Health Center doesn't have the capacity to treat your husband's illness. If Dr. Lu isn't confident, we suggest you consult other hospitals."
Although Ms. Wu was from a rural area, she wasn't unreasonable. Without thinking much, she nodded, "Dean Hu, rest assured. I'm aware of my husband's condition. City First Hospital has told us to prepare for the worst. But I really don't want to give up just yet, even if he could live for another year or two.
If Dr. Lu isn't confident, I won't make things difficult for either of you."
Hearing this, Hu Meiqiao breathed a sigh of relief.
The other party was rather reasonable, unlike some family members who act as if the sky is falling when their relatives have issues, causing endless trouble, as if failing to heal is entirely the fault of the doctors and the hospital.
Of course, in reality, there are doctors without professional ethics, but they are in the minority.
In this situation, it's clearly beyond the capacity of the Health Center, and accepting the case would only harm both sides.
"Thank you for understanding."
After speaking, she directly looked at Lu Xuan, "Lu, go ahead and take a look!"
Without Hu Meiqiao needing to remind him, Lu Xuan had already entered the pulse diagnosis state.
He was comparing what he thought was the pulse diagnosis result with what Aconite indicated, an excellent learning opportunity that Lu Xuan wouldn't let pass.
[Is this... sparrow pecking pulse?]
[Sparrow pecking pulse?]
Two queries, Lu Xuan could almost hear the sharp intake of breath.
"Is this one of the Ten Curious Pulses, the sparrow pecking pulse?"
Lu Xuan was shocked. As a master's student in Traditional Chinese Medicine, he might not accurately identify the sparrow pecking pulse during diagnosis, but he knew quite a bit about such a pulse pattern, which is essential knowledge for every TCM practitioner to master.
Frequent and urgent, said to be sparrow pecking, is a dead pulse of cardiac failure.
Indicating the complete exhaustion of spleen's vital energy, stomach energy has no nourishment, the pulse comes below the fingers. Rapidly frequent, constantly without halting, only press forward without retreat, abruptly stopping and returning again, resembling the pecking manner of chickens feeding.
But lasting only a few days.
Sparrow pecking pulse is also termed the TCM pulse of seven deaths.
What does it mean?
The sparrow pecking pulse, one of the Ten Curious Pulses, is often the precursor of a resolution pulse (atrial fibrillation pulse).
The pulse between the muscles is frequently rapid and irregular, stopping and interfacing, like sparrows pecking, indicating the exhaustion of spleen energy.
In Western medicine terms, it matches paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.
Famous Yuan Dynasty medical figure Wei Yilin once stated, "The vital energy of the spleen has been exhausted inside, those awake will die within eleven days, those ill within six or seven days."
Of course, using sparrow pecking pulse to gauge one's lifespan may be excessive, but it certainly indicates severe organic cardiac changes regardless of circumstances.
Sparrow pecking pulse, along with the diagnosis from First Hospital, is enough to illustrate how severe the patient's condition is.
Lu Xuan furrowed his brow tightly. The Ten Curious Pulses he'd heard about in school lectures, but it was his first encounter, torn between curiosity and a heavy expression.
Ignoring other symptoms, the sparrow pecking pulse alone was enough to send chills down his spine.
"Stick out your tongue for me."
Lu Xuan gestured for the patient to stick out his tongue.
The patient was still somewhat conscious, using all his strength to stick out his tongue.
With just a glance, Lu Xuan knew he couldn't save this patient. Even famous veteran TCM doctors might only shake their heads and sigh, not daring to prescribe.
The tongue was purple and dark, dotted with purplish-black spots, combined with the sparrow pecking pulse, it was nearly a death omen.
Can this still be treated?
Not to mention living a few more years, Lu Xuan doubted even ensuring another ten days to two weeks was nearly impossible.
Having examined both pulse and tongue, Lu Xuan looked at Ms. Wu, "Can you tell me about the patient's situation before and after he fell ill?"
Ms. Wu didn't dare delay and recounted every detail.
Lu Xuan quietly listened, only showing a complex emotion when she finished.
It's hard to imagine such a severe condition stemmed from a mere cold.
"This time, it might be difficult."
"I wonder if they have any way."
Lu Xuan placed all hope on Aconite.
[Sparrow pecking pulse, this is a death omen!]
[How is it, can it be treated?]
Everyone awaited Aconite's response.
So did Lu Xuan.
After a while, a sigh echoed in his ear:
[Difficult!]
[But not without hope, the patient's vital energy is still present, and he's in his prime, a slim chance remains.]
[According to the pulse, it's an initial failure to disperse outward illness, leading to external evils invading the five viscera. Vital energy is too weak to expel the evil externally, lodging in the blood, gradually depleting yin and leading to yang collapse.]
[Furthermore, the patient's wife mentioned this illness was triggered by a cold, leading to sudden heart failure. This cold is the key between life and death, as all illness transitions from the exterior to the interior. The exterior where evil enters is also where it exits.]
Hearing this, Lu Xuan's brow furrowed deeper. Although he'd systematically studied TCM, he knew little of what Aconite mentioned, or perhaps couldn't comprehend its pathology.
Now wasn't the time for pondering, he could only etch these words into his mind for deeper study later.
Just then, Aconite's Heart's Voice spoke again:
[The illness has persisted for half a month, still craving cold without sweat, indicating obstruction of exterior qi and entrapment of external evil, which is the main cause of the patient's generalized edema due to qi transformation freezing.]
[With concurrent lesser yin and yang diseases, using Ephedra, Aconite, and Asarum Decoction can warm the interior cold, open exterior qi, allowing the path for evil to exit, revealing a turning point.]
[Once a turning point appears, subsequent treatment becomes relatively easier, though still perilous.]
[What if no turning point appears? Or if it doesn't happen soon?]
[Certain death!]
Simple as the word was, it sent a chill through Lu Xuan's heart. For a doctor, the word 'death' is the most feared and least wanted to hear.
"Dr. Lu, how is it?"
"Is there... still hope?"
Seeing Lu Xuan deep in thought for over ten minutes, Ms. Wu couldn't help herself.
"Lu, can you not just say something!" Hu Meiqiao urged from the side. Initially, he thought to tell the family outright if it's not feasible to save time, but seeing the patient, still youthful despite being devoid of color, he swallowed those words.
Lu Xuan finally returned to his senses, realizing that numerous gazes were focused on him, making his feelings even more complicated.
Is it possible?
There is hope.
However, it is merely hope.
The patient's condition was too dire. Even if a turning point appeared, subsequent treatment would still be burdensome, and even top-notch experts like Aconite wouldn't guarantee success. Where would he find the courage to confidently say it's possible?
But giving up seemed too regrettable to Lu Xuan.
He pitied the patient, after all, being too young, not even thirty yet, and the prospect of white-haired sending off a young soul would tear two families apart with grief.
Lu Xuan couldn't bear to witness this scene.
Saving lives is a doctor's duty, a vow at the start of a medical career, a promise Lu Xuan never dares to forget.
Likewise, for him, this case was a significant test. Even though he's not prescribing or treating, but a group of medicinal herbs, Lu Xuan knew that participating in such treatment is an invaluable opportunity for any TCM practitioner.
Involvement in this process could dramatically enhance his perspective, medical skills, and deep understanding of TCM, leading to unimaginable growth.
On one side, it's a duty.
On the other, it's self-improvement.
Apart from some risks, Lu Xuan couldn't find any reason to refuse or abandon his own decision.
So...
Lu Xuan raised his head, looking at the crowd, his voice firm with determination: "I want to try."