"Help, it's so itchy … There are so many worms crawling on my face …"
Inside the isolation ward, Xie Yiman paced back and forth in agony. From time to time, she would hit her head against the pillow on the hospital bed or pinch her arms hard. But she couldn't stop. She still wanted to scratch her face, even though her face was full of scratches.
Suddenly, she slammed her head heavily against the wall. She was stopped by the nurse who rushed in. After all, she was just an eighteen-year-old girl. She started to sob helplessly.
There was a surveillance camera at the corner of the room. The situation inside was being broadcasted to a medical conference room.
Gu Jun, Uncle Dan, Zhang Haidong and the other doctors looked at the screen. They could see that Xie Yiman's mental state was deteriorating.
"The patient's self-mutilation behavior has worsened. We need to increase the protective measures." Zhang Haidong said with a frown.
"Professor Zhang, if we immobilize the patient's limbs," Gu Jun asked, "will it further stimulate her mental state?"
What was the cause? They could not be sure. They could only rule it out.
If it was a skin disease that was not viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic, or allergic, autoimmune, or skin tumor, there were no obvious abnormalities in the patient's physical indicators and X-ray results, and even local anesthesia could not stop the itching.
Faced with this situation, doctors from all over the world focused their attention on 'neuropsychiatric dermatosis'.
Gu Jun had been worried about this because this was also part of the field of psychiatry. The treatment method was uncertain.
If it was caused by microbes, the skin disease would be cured by killing the microbes. That was how to kill the microbes.
But neuropsychiatric dermatosis was different.
There was no need for supernatural forces to cause trouble. Humans had many of these diseases. The patient did not have any primary skin damage but they would suddenly feel itchiness on a part of their body. They would scratch it but the more they scratched, the more itchy it became. Rashes, edema, scales, and other symptoms would appear.
There was also 'parasitic paranoia'. There were no parasites in the skin but the patient stubbornly believed they were infected. They refused to believe it even when they were given a clear diagnosis. They believed there were many worms crawling under their skin.
There were also abnormal behaviors such as hair plucking, nail biting, head banging, and so on, which were not rare in this kind of disease.
Therefore, if it were not for the fact that the shape of the erythema was like a brand and the similar occupation of these patients, it could be a common disease.
"It will definitely stimulate the patient's spirit," Zhang Haidong said seriously, "Ah Jun, you still need to talk to the patient. She trusts you more."
"If that doesn't work, why don't we try an artificial coma?" Uncle Dan suggested. Everyone had thought about that before.
Artificial coma was mainly used to treat patients with brain trauma, but sometimes in order to prevent some patients from moving, this kind of deep anesthesia could also be used.
"I'll see if I can convince her to hold on for a bit," Gu Jun said after some thought.
"Neuropsychiatric disorders" referred to the dysfunction of the nervous system or mental disorders. Currently, it was more inclined to the latter. It would be useless without local anesthesia.
The key was how to correct the patient's psychological state.
"To treat this kind of skin disease, you usually have to find a way to stop the itching." Zhang Haidong explained. He was in his fifties. As a dermatologist, he had a wealth of experience in normal, abnormal, and minor skin diseases. "The psychology of this kind of patients is very strange. It is like there is a switch in their mind. When it is turned on, the illness will start, but when it is turned off, everything will be fine. You need to make them believe that the itching is gone, and only then will the switch be turned off. "
How to stop the itching, that was the problem.
For normal neuropsychiatric disorders, drugs could still have a physiological effect, but only to a certain extent.
For patients with mild cases, even if they applied dexamethasone ointment, it would have a soothing effect.
If anti-inflammatory drugs did not work, sedatives could be given, and if that did not work, local anesthesia would be applied. For example, they had already given Xie Yiman procaine block therapy. Through local anesthesia to reduce the sense of itch and pain, combined with psychotherapy, this could also help her recover.
But now, probably due to the influence of abnormal energy, these methods were useless.
Xie Yiman should not be able to feel her face anymore but she still felt the itch, and there were still many worms crawling on her skin.
Gu Jun even applied the golden aloe on the skin, but it was still ineffective. Perhaps the living golden aloe would be useful, or perhaps it would be useful in the drug that he developed in the future. But for now, the laboratory was still in the stage of analyzing the composition of the raw material and extracting the substance.
He asked around in his sweet dream. Lucky's report was that there was no news at the House of Worm. Temporarily, they could not find the relevant physical channel.
"I'll go talk to her."
After the meeting, Gu Jun returned to the quarantine sickroom.
The patients were still quarantined at the local hospital. Phecda would relocate and regroup at their discretion. It would take more time to confirm the details but if they could not find a way to stop the itching, the patients would die.
"Captain Gu, help me!" When Xie Yiman saw him, she pounced at him like a madwoman. She hugged his protective suit and begged, "Help me …"
Gu Jun took a deep breath. Whenever he was faced with a patient's pleading, his heart would be torn apart.
Among the patients, the one with the most serious condition was Xie Yiman. The red spots on her face did not spread but the itch was so strong that she was about to have a mental breakdown.
"Yiman, actually the situation has been clarified. The protective suit is just a procedure. Your illness is not contagious, it's not caused by bacteria or bugs, it's caused by some kind of supernatural force. "
Gu Jun patted Xie Yiman's shoulder and patiently explained to her what neurological dermatosis was. He was careful not to provoke her.
Prof Zhang had already reminded him that this type of patient's mental state fluctuated greatly and they were easily agitated. They did not like to hear people say things like 'you're not sick, you're just mentally ill'. After working in the clinic for a long time, Gu Jun knew that patients were usually anxious. Communication between doctors and patients required respect and empathy for the patient.
Therefore, when Gu Jun spoke, he used a tone that conveyed, 'I know you're the victim'.
"The power has formed some kind of mental connection with you, and that's why it can continuously transmit this thought into your mind like this. It makes you feel itchy on your face, no matter how hard you try. But if we can sever this connection, the illness might be cured. "
Gu Jun's deduction was not random. The Nightmare Illness had that kind of mental connection.
"Then … then what should I do?" Xie Yiman asked anxiously. She trusted Gu Jun a lot.
"We'll increase the dosage of the sedative and at the same time, we'll tie you to the bed. You'll have to summon your will and endure it!" Gu Jun said encouragingly. "No matter how itchy it is, ignore it. Don't scratch it. Endure it until today! Let's see what happens. "
Let the patient face that connection directly. If he could endure it, he might be able to reverse and destroy the abnormal force.
"No, no, no …" Xie Yiman panicked when she heard that. She was on the verge of screaming. "No, no, I'll die if I do that! Captain Gu, it's not that I don't want to endure it, but I can't. Do you understand? It's too itchy, I can't endure it anymore … "
Seeing how agitated she was, Gu Jun knew that this method would not work on her because the focus was not on the sedative but on the psychological treatment.
"Captain Gu, if you want me to die," Xie Yiman's tone turned agitated, "then I'd rather die a quick death!"
She was about to rush to the wall when Gu Jun quickly pulled her back. "Don't! We have other treatment methods. If this one doesn't work, we'll try another one. Don't panic. "
"What kind of treatment?" Xie Yiman asked between gasps. She scratched her face, and hope reignited in her eyes.
"Artificial coma." Gu Jun said. They could only give it a try. "We'll apply general anesthesia on you. You'll fall unconscious, and you won't feel anything."
"Okay!" Xie Yiman nodded happily. "That's good. I want to sleep for a while. That's good!"
"But there's a risk that you'll never wake up." Gu Jun told her this point clearly. Under normal circumstances, as long as the dose of anesthesia was reduced, the patient could be woken up at any time. However, patients with Malformed Banyan Disease could not be in a coma under general anesthesia. Otherwise, even if they woke up, they would only be a lifeless shell.
Gu Jun did not advocate artificial coma for two reasons. First, there was the risk; second, when the patient lost their sense of self, would there be any new changes to their condition?
However, these were all uncertainties. If they forced themselves to endure it, it might drive the patient insane.
Every new treatment path needed to be explored, and for every path, there had to be someone among the patients who would try it first.
"I …" Xie Yiman was confused. She might never wake up? "Can I call my mother?"
"Sure." Gu Jun complied with her request. This was not a problem. Her family was under Phecda's control.
Xie Yiman chatted with her parents for a long time on the phone. No one would want to take this risk. However, less than an hour later, due to the increasing itch, she decided to give it a try. She really could not take it anymore. She just needed some rest …
After the treatment plan was decided, it was quickly carried out.
Various monitoring devices were sent into the quarantine room. The resuscitation room was ready. The team of anesthetists prepared the drugs and administered inhalation anesthesia to Xie Yiman. In the midst of pain and anticipation, the popular actress slowly closed her eyes and slipped into unconsciousness.
It was two o 'clock in the afternoon that day. Xie Yiman performed the world's first artificial coma treatment during this epidemic.
Her condition after she fainted continued to be monitored. Gu Jun, Deng Ximei, Uncle Dan, and the rest stayed by her bed with the team of anesthetists. They watched her quietly and tried to sense her surroundings …
From the beginning, Gu Jun did not favor artificial coma, but at that moment, there was a knot of anxiety in his heart that grew stronger and stronger.
When Xie Yiman was unconscious for half an hour, she was still lying motionless on the bed. However, the readings on the device beside her suddenly changed. The electroencephalogram was different from the electroencephalogram when she was conscious and unconscious. At this time, the electroencephalogram slowly increased, and her consciousness returned.
"Quick, wake up the patient!" Gu Jun said hurriedly as he took a deep breath to steady himself.
The few anesthetists moved into action. Uncle Dan slapped his head with regret. "Damn it, I shouldn't have suggested this idea. I really shouldn't have …"
"Uncle Dan, we have to try it." Gu Jun knew this was no one's fault. It was not Uncle Dan's fault. He only hoped that the patient could be successfully awakened.
At that moment, Deng Ximei whispered to him, "Perhaps, we can give it a try … to see what Xie Yiman is experiencing now?"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
