oon, the machine’s automatic analysis at the end of the printout confirmed Xu Ze’s judgment: “Sinus arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia.”
Xu Ze smiled with satisfaction, carefully tore off the ECG strip, folded it neatly, and placed it in his work coat pocket. He then helped the old man sit up and return to Old Doctor Zhang’s consultation desk.
Handing the neatly folded ECG strip to Old Doctor Zhang, Xu Ze said, “It’s done. Take a look, Doctor Zhang.”
Old Doctor Zhang glanced at the neatly folded strip and nodded approvingly. After a moment of thought, he said to Xu Ze, “Go check on that fever patient and see how his temperature is. Examine him carefully and then prescribe some medication for me.”
“Alright!” Xu Ze nodded happily. This was Old Doctor Zhang’s way of testing him. If he performed well, it could lead to more opportunities and benefits in the future. He couldn’t afford to mess this up.
With that in mind, Xu Ze carefully took his stethoscope from the rack beside the desk, hung it around his neck, and walked over to the young man sitting nearby. He smiled and said, “Let’s check your temperature. Take out the thermometer.”
“38.5°C. Definitely a fever,” Xu Ze nodded. He then pulled out a small flashlight and a cotton swab from his pocket and said to the patient, “Open your mouth. Let me check your throat.”
Under the flashlight’s beam, the patient’s two large, bright red tonsils were clearly visible, proudly announcing their presence.
“Grade 2 tonsil enlargement, but no obvious pus,” Xu Ze thought to himself. He nodded, tossed the cotton swab into the trash bin, and then put on his stethoscope to listen to the patient’s lungs.
Based on the sounds he heard, Xu Ze quickly made a diagnosis: “Grade 2 tonsil enlargement, slightly coarse lung sounds, no obvious rales. The main symptoms are fever, chills, headache, and a slight cough with no significant phlegm or vomiting. The diagnosis is acute tonsillitis.”
With the diagnosis confirmed, prescribing medication was straightforward. Although Old Doctor Zhang rarely let Xu Ze prescribe medication for patients due to his young age and lack of trust, it didn’t mean Xu Ze wasn’t capable. After all, Xu Ze had been learning from Old Doctor Zhang for over a year and had practiced a lot at home. Handling minor illnesses like this was second nature to him.
Sitting back at the desk, Xu Ze took out a prescription pad and wrote down the medications according to Old Doctor Zhang’s usual habits: “100 ml of saline + 2.0 g of cefuroxime sodium IV, twice daily, skin test required; 100 ml of ofloxacin IV, twice daily; 250 ml of 5% glucose + 0.5 g of ribavirin IV, once daily; 500 ml of 5% glucose + 3.0 g of vitamin C, 0.2 g of vitamin B6, and 10 ml of 10% potassium chloride IV, once daily; 0.5 g of metamizole injection, intramuscular, immediately.”
After reviewing the prescription, Xu Ze double-checked everything. The cefuroxime sodium and ofloxacin were for the infection, ribavirin for the virus, metamizole for the fever and headache, and the vitamins and glucose for hydration. The dosages were correct, and the antibiotics matched Old Doctor Zhang’s usual preferences. It should be fine.
Xu Ze glanced at Old Doctor Zhang, who had just finished prescribing medication for the old man and handed it to the nurse for IV administration. Xu Ze then handed his prescription to Old Doctor Zhang and said cautiously, “The patient has a temperature of 38.5°C, a red throat, grade 2 tonsil enlargement, and slightly coarse lung sounds with no rales. I believe the diagnosis is acute tonsillitis.”
With that, he looked at Old Doctor Zhang nervously, waiting for his judgment.