Chapter 37 - Is It a Malignant Tumor?

The once quiet hospital corridor suddenly became noisy, awakening several patients and their families in nearby rooms who came out to see what was happening. Several medical staff were pushing a hospital bed and rushing down the hallway. On the hospital bed was a young boy, and behind it, there was a mother with a slight limp, crying and trying to catch up.

“Isn’t that Cong Cong from the neighboring bed number 3? What’s going on with him?”

“I heard shouting earlier. It sounded like some kind of shock.”

“Speaking of Cong Cong, why was he admitted to the hospital? I saw him during the day, and he seemed like a very intelligent and lively child.”

“Is there anything else on our floor besides heart problems?”

“Such a young child with a heart condition, and his mother is disabled. It’s incredibly tragic.”

“I spoke to his mother, and when I asked about her husband, she said he’s passed away!”

“Ah?! That’s just… unbelievably tragic!”

“Being a single mother is not easy. I hope this child will be safe.”

Some of the patients began chatting, expressing their sympathy for Luo Sanmei and Shen Ruicong.

Sun Kaili, who had previously disagreed with Lu Ming, also came out to see what was happening. When she looked at her son, Chu Wenjie, lying on the hospital bed, she felt a mix of complex emotions.

Could her son end up in a situation like this?

When Luo Sanmei arrived outside the emergency room, Shen Ruicong was already rushed inside for treatment.

“May the Bodhisattva bless my Cong Cong to overcome this crisis,” Luo Sanmei said, joining her hands and praying with closed eyes.

Inside the emergency room:

“DIC!”

“It seems to be DIC!”

A doctor shouted out. Lu Ming nodded slightly. He also suspected that this was acute shock caused by DIC.

DIC is the abbreviation for Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation, also known as disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome. It’s a condition that can occur in many diseases. Under certain triggering factors, there’s widespread and scattered platelet aggregation, fibrin deposition, or blood clotting within the microcirculation, leading to massive consumption of platelets and clotting factors.

Consequently, the fibrinolytic system, or the fibrinolysis system, is activated. This ultimately results in dysfunction of affected organs and extensive, severe bleeding.

In simpler terms, it means that many micro-blood clots form within the blood vessels, causing a decrease in blood circulation, a drop in blood pressure, and various adverse reactions in the body.

To put it even more simply, it’s like comparing the original blood to pure water, while the blood with micro-clots is like milk. Under the same environmental conditions, the flow rate of water is undoubtedly faster than that of milk.

So, when blood is mixed with micro-clots, its flow rate slows down, leading to reduced blood circulation. Many situations can lead to the development of DIC symptoms. For example, conditions like bacterial infections, viral infections, trauma, and complications from surgical procedures can lead to DIC. Additionally, pregnant women during pregnancy and childbirth can also experience this syndrome. Furthermore, certain autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and other internal medical conditions can contribute to its development.

However, the most likely cause of Shen Ruicong’s shock, as speculated by Lu Ming, was a malignant tumor. Malignant tumors could also trigger DIC symptoms. There was a tumor within Shen Ruicong’s body, but whether it’s benign or malignant is yet to be determined, awaiting the results of tomorrow’s examination. But considering the current situation, it’s highly possible that it’s a malignant tumor. A malignant tumor causing DIC symptoms and subsequently leading to shock would make sense.

“Blood pressure is still dropping, and the heart’s pumping function may also decrease.”

“There are faint blood spots and bruises on the skin.”

“It’s most likely DIC.”

Lu Ming, upon hearing this, opened Shen Ruicong’s lips and examined his gums. He found evidence of bleeding in the gums. This was a strong indicator that it was DIC.

“Do we need to perform blood flow perfusion?” A doctor inquired.

Blood flow perfusion is a method of blood purification used to maintain the normal functioning of organs like the heart and lungs.

“First, run the tests. I want to check the indicators,” Lu Ming replied.

Lu Ming didn’t rush to perform blood flow perfusion. While it’s a common method for managing DIC and considered relatively safe, he knew that treating a patient should be based on a specific problem analysis. It might require the use of fibrinolytic inhibitors or even heparin, which is an anticoagulant used to prevent blood clots.

A moment later, Lu Ming received the necessary test results and furrowed his brows slightly. Shen Ruicong’s platelet count, clotting factors, and other indicators had significantly decreased. This meant they needed to administer a certain amount of clotting factors, fresh plasma, and concentrated platelets, among other measures. If these interventions couldn’t restore the clotting factors to their baseline levels, he’d have to consider using heparin. With the treatment plan in mind, Lu Ming immediately organized the rescue effort.

All medical staff had clear roles and worked methodically. During the rescue, Lu Ming continuously observed Shen Ruicong’s condition. By monitoring the increase and expansion of blood spots and bruises, he could assess the overall situation. If the blood spots continued to increase, it indicated ongoing bleeding and more aggressive action was needed.

Fortunately, after administering clotting factors and other substances, Shen Ruicong’s condition stabilized, and Lu Ming and his team breathed a sigh of relief. However, in the coming days, they would need to monitor Shen Ruicong’s condition around the clock.

Closely watching for signs of bleeding and clotting and conducting timely blood and urine tests were essential. In addition, two intravenous lines were established for Shen Ruicong to ensure blood volume replenishment and facilitate other treatment measures.

After all these procedures, it was well past 3 in the morning. Lu Ming wiped the sweat from his brow, then proceeded to clean and disinfect himself.

When he saw Luo Sanmei, she knelt on the ground with her head bowed, hands together in prayer.

“Your son is out of danger now, and his condition is stable,” Lu Ming informed her.

Hearing Lu Ming’s voice, Luo Sanmei suddenly opened her eyes and raised her head.

“Is Cong Cong okay?”

“Thank you, Buddha! Thank you, Bodhisattva! Thank you, Dr. Lu and all the medical staff!” Luo Sanmei expressed her gratitude profusely.

Lu Ming smiled and said, “You should get some rest; there might be a tough day ahead tomorrow.”

Lu Ming was concerned that Luo Sanmei might get too tired, and there would be no one to take care of Shen Ruicong.

“I’m not tired. I’ll stay here with Cong Cong.”

“When will Cong Cong be able to come out? Has he woken up?”

Luo Sanmei inquired about Shen Ruicong’s condition.

Lu Ming shook his head and replied, “He hasn’t woken up yet. Once his condition stabilizes, he can return to his room.”

“Alright, thank you, Dr. Lu,” Luo Sanmei expressed her gratitude to Lu Ming once more. Lu Ming waved his hand, stifled a yawn, and decided to rest on the fold-out bed in his office.

The next morning, Lu Ming didn’t want to get up. He wished he could sleep all morning.

But, today, he had to examine Shen Ruicong to determine whether the mass in his body was indeed a malignant tumor. If it were, he would need to perform surgery to remove it.

Perhaps it was a malignant tumor, and perhaps removing it would lead to Shen Ruicong’s recovery.

The examination of a tumor involves many different tests, including laboratory tests, pathology examinations, and imaging studies. This includes CT scans, MRIs, complete blood counts, urinalysis, and possibly a biopsy. Given the tumor’s location near the left lung, there might be space-occupying lesions, and a pulmonary biopsy would be necessary.@@novelbin@@

Lu Ming had already prepared the examination forms in advance. Being familiar with all the procedures and knowing the most efficient order of tests allowed Shen Ruicong to be one of the first to undergo examinations.

After the tests were completed, they had to wait for the results. During this waiting period, Lu Ming started planning the next steps of the treatment in his mind.

How should one deal with a benign tumor?

And what about a malignant tumor?