Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 276

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 276

Episode 276. Gamble

Taekyung’s firm and clear shout cut through the tension, jolting the medical staff into action.

“Focus! We need to stop the bleeding immediately!”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Understood.”

“Doctor, is the bleeding coming from the heart itself?”

Lee Chanhee, snapping back to attention after Choi Mona, donned sterile gloves and reached into Gu Minwoo’s chest, his voice laced with concern. “I think I made it worse by doing the pericardiocentesis [a procedure to remove fluid from around the heart].”

“No! No one could have been certain. Even if you hadn’t performed the pericardiocentesis, the patient would have died from the pressure. It was unavoidable.”

It was the truth. And Taekyung’s urgency following the pericardiocentesis stemmed from his frantic decision-making process on how to save the patient.

The result of that deliberation was the current treatment, which had surprised everyone.

“There, look a little deeper.”

“Yes, do you see it?”

“Suction! Get me suction.”

Taekyung used suction in one hand and sterile gauze in the other to clear the field of vision, carefully examining the patient. It was then that a shout rang out.

“Found it!”

A refreshing shout, like finding an exit in a labyrinth, echoed through the room.

“Gauze! More gauze!”

“Yes.”

The nurse used instruments to drop a bundle of sterile gauze into the chest cavity.

“No! Give me everything in that container!”

At Taekyung’s command, Nurse Lim Jungsook lifted the stainless steel gauze container, opened the lid, and poured its entire contents into Gu Minwoo’s chest.

Then, Taekyung pressed the poured gauze firmly against the patient’s heart with both hands.

“Give me Vicryl 2-0 [a type of suture thread; the smaller the number, the larger the needle and thicker the thread].”

Taekyung removed the gauze after applying pressure, secured a needle in the needle holder [an instrument resembling tongs used to hold and manipulate needles], and carefully inspected the wound.

“Suction.”

Gu Minwoo’s heart, visible through the opened chest, continued to beat. Blood pulsed from the tear in the heart, synchronized with each beat.

The impact of Gu Minwoo’s collision with the wall had caused the injury to his heart.

Taekyung twisted his wrist, guiding the thick needle through the tissue on either side of the wound.

Then, his other hand entered the chest cavity, swiftly tying off the suture. He repeated the action about seven times consecutively before checking the monitor again.

“What’s the Norpin [norepinephrine, a vasopressor used to raise blood pressure] drip rate right now?”

“40 micrograms per minute.”

The systolic pressure on the monitor read 60. Taekyung glanced at the monitor, then at the rapidly infusing blood and fluids, before checking the monitor again.

“Press the blood pressure measurement button again.”

“Doctor, should we insert an arterial line to measure real-time blood pressure?”

“No, let’s do that later.”

-Weeeeng

The machine whirred, compressed, and the numbers reappeared. The systolic pressure was now 68.

“Insert an A-line [arterial line, a catheter inserted into an artery to continuously monitor blood pressure] now.”

“Understood.”

Taekyung began inserting an arterial blood line into Gu Minwoo’s wrist on the opposite side of where he was standing. The necessary lines were connected, and real-time arterial blood pressure readings appeared on the monitor.

-Beep… -Beep – Beep

55… 57… 58, 60, 63… 70. The numbers on the arterial blood pressure monitor were gradually rising. It was an almost unbelievable sight.

“Ha!”

Overjoyed, Taekyung clenched his fists involuntarily and exhaled sharply. It was as if the oppressive smell of formalin and sulfur had been dispelled by those fists, gradually, very gradually, diminishing in intensity.

Gu Minwoo’s fifth vital sign, which had seemed immutable, was changing.

Of course, it was too early to celebrate; another emergency could arise at any moment.

However, it was a relief and a blessing that the terrible sulfurous odor emanating from the man on the brink of death was gradually fading.

“Oh my god!”

“Look at those numbers.”

“The numbers have changed!”

“Doctor, you’re amazing.”

Lee Chanhee and Choi Mona alternated their gazes between the monitor and Taekyung, awestruck. The other medical staff shared their sentiment.

At that moment, everyone was thinking the same thing, unspoken.

‘As expected of the director. I knew it.’

It was the unwavering belief that Taekyung would save the patient.

“The doctor saved the patient.”

“No, it’s purely heaven’s help and what the patient did.”

“But isn’t the suturing of the heart the main reason for the blood pressure increase?”

“That’s right. I agree with Dr. Choi’s opinion.”

“No, most patients die the moment you open the chest. Look up the papers later. Heart suturing is rarely effective in these cases. We’re just incredibly fortunate.”

Everything they said was true.

In the emergency room, not the operating room, he had opened the patient’s chest, intentionally broken the ribs, and sutured the heart.

In fact, Taekyung had gambled.

If he had done nothing, Gu Minwoo would have certainly died. Opening his chest wouldn’t have changed anything for him as he was dying.

However, he couldn’t simply stand by and watch a dying patient die.

Taking a risk to save him was a better choice than inaction. And his gamble, aided by providence, had paid off handsomely.

He was immensely relieved and grateful to have saved Gu Minwoo.

Afterward, Taekyung, assisted by Lee Chanhee, quickly and temporarily sutured the opened chest.

“Okay! Everyone, it’s not over yet. Let’s temporarily close the patient’s chest and check for any abnormalities in the head and spine with a CT scan.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“And let’s prepare the operating room to fully close the chest. There may be abnormalities in the abdomen or head, so please have the operating room ready. Take a full-body CT scan and get him up there immediately.”

“Yes, understood.”

As soon as the order was given, three medical staff members swiftly transported the patient to the CT room.

Thud-

The tension drained from Taekyung’s body, and he slumped into the chair. Both of his hands were stained with povidone solution [an antiseptic solution].

“Um, Doctor…?”

“Yes?”

Nurse Lim Jungsook cautiously addressed the visibly exhausted Taekyung, her expression filled with concern.

“Gu Minwoo’s mother is waiting.”

“Ah! The guardian? Okay. I’ll go. But, what about his wife, Lee Sori? Didn’t you say both his mother and wife were coming earlier?”

“Lee Sori arrived first, but she collapsed in the guardian waiting room.”

“Collapsed? Lee Sori is pregnant, is she okay?”

“Yes. Dr. Jung heard the news and came immediately to examine her. Fortunately, both Lee Sori and the baby are fine.”

“She must have fainted from the shock of Gu Minwoo’s accident.”

“Yes, she seemed very distressed.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s receiving an IV drip in the ward.”

When Lee Sori collapsed, the medical staff had intentionally moved her to the ward’s inpatient room instead of the emergency room after her examination.

They wanted to spare her the sight of Gu Minwoo’s condition in the emergency room, fearing it would cause further shock.

Her heart must be heavy with worry for her husband, and they wanted to allow her to rest as comfortably as possible, given her pregnancy.

“You said she’s in the ward? Let’s go up.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Taekyung, accompanied by Nurse Lim Jungsook, went up to the ward and hesitated before entering the room.

“There are quite a few people.”

“Yes, there are. Many people came because they were worried about Gu Minwoo.”

Outside the hospital room door, people connected to the accident were gathered, having heard the news.

Among them were action team leader Kim Changhee, Sky Forest CEO Kim Sunho, lead actor Kang Hyuk, and the director, who had arrived late due to their schedule.

They were all concerned about Gu Minwoo and his wife, Lee Sori.

“Excuse me, but waiting here may inconvenience other patients and guardians using the hallway. Please wait in the lounge over there.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

While Nurse Lim Jungsook directed the people standing in front of the door to the lounge, Taekyung entered the hospital room.

Click-

“Director!”

Lee Sori, who was sitting up in bed, reacted as she saw Taekyung, and Gu Minwoo’s mother, who was holding her daughter-in-law’s hand, jumped up.

“Mother, this is the hospital director.”

Lee Sori, who had fainted from the shock, was in better condition than before.

“Oh my! Hello. I’m Minwoo’s mother. Doctor, is our son… okay?”

“Doctor, is Minwoo okay?”

“You must have been very surprised, but currently, Gu Minwoo is…”

Taekyung explained in detail to the two anxiously waiting women about the treatment Gu Minwoo had received and his current condition.

“Oh my god! Thank you so much.”

“Thank you, Director.”

“Honey, that’s a relief. Director, thank you again.”

“Guardian, excuse me, but there seems to be a slight misunderstanding.”

“Yes?!”

Taekyung carefully but clearly continued to speak to Gu Minwoo’s mother, who was holding Lee Sori’s hand and expressing her gratitude.

“The patient is not in good condition yet. To put it plainly, he is not out of the woods. He could still die during surgery or while undergoing the CT scan.”

“……!”

The expressions of Lee Sori and Gu Minwoo’s mother, who had been relieved by the news that the critical situation had been overcome, were once again filled with worry.

The two were speechless, their attention riveted on Taekyung’s words.

“Of course, if the examination reveals no other sources of bleeding and no other abnormalities in the head or abdomen, then the immediate crisis may have passed. But we cannot be certain of anything yet.”

Taekyung’s tone and gaze toward the guardians were gentle, but the message was stark.

Taekyung, more than anyone, wished he could offer hopeful stories to the guardians in such situations. But he couldn’t distort the facts of the patient’s condition.

As a doctor, he had a duty to convey the truth, setting aside his own feelings of regret.

Furthermore, offering false hope to comfort them could inflict even greater pain later.

Especially for guardians of patients with severe trauma like Gu Minwoo, only accurate medical information should be conveyed, even if it is difficult to hear.

“T, then what will happen to our son?”

“Director? Will our Haengun’s father wake up?”

“Currently, that remains to be seen.”

“Oh my! Minwoo…”

“Director?”

As the shocked mother-in-law sank back into her chair, Lee Sori, still in bed, reached out to Taekyung, clasping her hands together.

“Please, I beg you. My husband has worked so hard his entire life, and now he’s about to become a father and things are finally starting to go well, but this can’t be happening. Please save my husband. I’ll do anything, just let him live. Just save him.”

“I also ask you. If my son dies, I will die too. Director, please save our Minwoo. I’m begging you.”

“Guardian, please get up.”

Taekyung quickly helped Gu Minwoo’s mother to her feet, preventing her from kneeling on the hospital room floor to beg.

He understood their desperation and felt a pang of sympathy.

“Please save our Minwoo.”

“I understand both the mother’s heart and Lee Sori’s heart. I will keep those feelings in mind, and I and the medical staff will do our best for the patient.”

Click-

“Um, Doctor. The CT scan results are in.”

Nurse Lim Jungsook entered the hospital room while the three were talking.

The crucial CT results had arrived.