Chapter 2577: Dilemma

Teacher Tan is the teacher who graded her assignment notes.

(Tan Kelin: Sigh, being too authoritative as a teacher can be troublesome; students don’t dare to comment on his assignments.)

Liu Li was probably amused by her thoughts, his usually stern face cracked like a broken window, and he laughed as he spoke: “Your Teacher Tan is waiting for you to discuss research work with him. Don’t overthink it. In matters of academic discussion, students and teachers are on equal footing.”

Understanding Teacher Tan’s intention, Xie Wanying nodded, indicating she would call Teacher Tan later.

“What can I do for you?” Liu Li asked about the purpose of her call.

“Teacher Liu, did you notify Li Yaxi’s mother about the need for a referral? Her mother’s name is Yang Yunjuan.”

“Do you know their family?”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t heard you mention it before.”

This is a long story.

“I’ve discussed the patient’s situation with her daughter. The blood pressure is not well controlled, 33 weeks pregnant, which is quite risky if this continues.”

33 weeks pregnant is late pregnancy; by this point, the increasing size of the fetus brings greater burdens and heightened risks to the mother’s body. For Mother Yaxi, improper blood pressure control is far more dangerous compared to a healthy pregnant woman. High blood pressure in pregnant women is always a major concern in obstetrics. Those who fail to control it can develop pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, leading to a series of systemic symptoms caused by pregnancy hypertension: edema, proteinuria, nausea, vomiting, and the convulsions and coma known medically as eclampsia, often depicted in movies.

Mother Yaxi is initially diagnosed with mild pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, with occasional edema that subsides after rest, but the blood pressure couldn’t be brought down below 140/90 mmHg.

“Recently, her systolic pressure has twice exceeded 160, approaching 170 rapidly, and the progression is too swift. All I can do is prescribe her some antihypertensive medication while urging her to find a better obstetrician,” Liu Li said.

Being young and lacking medical experience, the patient is over fifty years old, classified by age as a “super-advanced-age” pregnant woman, with her condition tending to deteriorate from mild to moderate or even severe. Besides, everyone knows medication for pregnant women has to be extremely cautious. Many drugs are not suitable during pregnancy due to potential impacts on the fetus, some antihypertensive drugs included. Administering medication to a pregnant woman like this made Liu Li anxious and lacking confidence. Her only option was to refer the patient to a senior doctor as soon as possible.

The problem is, this patient has a major issue; she claims to have so-called doctor friends helping her.

“I wanted to refer her case to my senior physician and discussed it with her. She said she’ll consider it. When pushed about finding another doctor, she got upset, claiming her doctor friend told her that her level of hypertension is nothing to worry about,” Liu Li was running out of steam by this point.

Dealing with a patient like this is very troublesome. She’d rather believe her own doctor friend than trust the advice of the doctor examining and treating her. With such patients, doctors often find themselves in a dilemma; you can’t just ask them to leave since she hasn’t said she doesn’t want treatment here anymore. Your advice goes unheard; she insists on also considering her doctor friend’s advice. The main physician foresees only frustration ahead, thinking: you might as well go see your doctor friend.

Do you think it’s that simple? Patients who reluctantly won’t leave usually stay for one reason: her doctor friend isn’t a specialist in this field.