Director Huo's barrage of questions felt like daggers plunging into Cheng Feng.
The doctors standing by also felt the suffocating pressure, like a storm about to break.
Cheng Feng had no idea how to answer. He was merely building on the framework Director Huo had provided to advance a research project. As for the fundamental principles, he simply wasn't experienced enough to grasp them.
Seeing Cheng Feng's silence, Huo Yun grew displeased. "What, not a single thought? How long have you been working on this project? Haven't you ever bothered to delve into its basic principles, its background, its clinical significance?"
"Or did you just never intend to, thinking you could just follow the project I designed, collect the data, and churn out a paper just for the sake of it?"
"We are doctors! We do research not for promotions or for impact factor points, but for thousands upon thousands of patients! If you can't even be bothered to think about that, then you might as well drop the project."
Huo Yun had always been strict, and he was even harder on his own students.
Hearing his mentor's rebuke, Cheng Feng was too ashamed to even lift his head.
"You're right to scold me, sir."
Huo Yun then turned to Luo Ming. "Luo Ming, you've participated in this project and handled quite a few cases. What are your thoughts?"
Luo Ming's face fell. Though he had more clinical experience than Cheng Feng, he had only been helping collect data for this project as a side task. He had never given a single thought to its underlying principles or clinical significance.
He grilled them one by one, and one by one, they fell silent.
The entire ward fell silent.
Huo Yun then turned to the project's last grunt, his tone sharp. "And you!"
Seeing Huo Yun turn his sights on Wu Ting, everyone felt a pang of pity for him. He had just managed to earn some praise, and now he was getting dragged back into the scolding.
Everyone present knew that Wu Ting was just helping Cheng Feng collect data. If Cheng Feng, the project lead, and Luo Ming, a senior resident, couldn't say anything meaningful, what could Wu Ting possibly have to say?
Everyone already foresaw the outcome. They just hoped Director Huo's temper would burn itself out quickly.
"Regarding the clinical significance and background of the project proposed by Director Huo, I'd like to add a few of my own thoughts."
The sudden voice took everyone by surprise.
They listened as Wu Ting began his explanation.
"First, let's start with superficial second-degree burns. The pain caused by such burns is a unique type of pain, considered to be among the most intense of all!"
"As we all know, the mechanism of burn pain involves factors like heat and temperature causing varying degrees of destruction or even carbonization in tissues such as skin, muscle, fascia, and blood vessels. This, in turn, leads to secondary wound swelling and increased skin tension, which further stimulates or compresses cutaneous nerves, causing persistent pain. Furthermore, the loss of skin integrity exposes nerve endings, which is another source of pain."
"To manage the pain of these early-stage burn wounds, cold therapy is one of the most effective methods."
"Cold therapy, also known as cryotherapy or cooling therapy, uses substances colder than the human body. It's applied locally or systemically to achieve hemostasis, pain relief, reduced inflammation, fever reduction, and comfort."
"These are the fundamental principles and background of our entire project."
Hearing Wu Ting speak with such eloquence and confidence, all the other doctors were utterly stunned.
Cheng Feng was incredulous. "Brother Ting, since when were you this incredible?"
Mu Xi from the internal medicine team, who was known for her photographic memory, shot him an admiring look. "So erudite and sharp! I'm impressed."
Huo Yun gave Wu Ting a surprised look and gestured for him to continue. "Go on. The rest of you, listen closely and learn from him."
Wu Ting nodded and continued to elaborate.
"As for Director Huo's first question, to my knowledge, there are currently several methods for using early-stage cold therapy to alleviate the pain of burn wounds:
First, rinsing with cold water at the scene of the burn.
Second, early-stage immersion or bathing of the burn wound.
Third, applying cold compresses of traditional Chinese medicine liquids, ointments, or powders after the burn.
Fourth, wet compresses with a compound burn analgesic solution.
Fifth, external application of ice packs or cold dressings.
All of the above measures work by lowering the local temperature, which reduces wound edema and tissue damage, thereby alleviating pain.
In clinical practice, the internationally recognized standard for cold therapy is to rinse the affected area with cold water for at least 20 minutes within three hours of the burn. This effectively reduces pain and minimizes further thermal damage to the skin..."
As he listened to Wu Ting's answer, Cheng Feng realized he had thought of some of these methods himself, but his knowledge was nowhere near as comprehensive or clear.
Filled with admiration, the only thing Cheng Feng could do was start taking notes immediately.
Seeing that even Cheng Feng was taking notes, the other residents quickly grabbed their own notebooks and began to write.
And so, a rare scene unfolded in the ward: Wu Ting lectured nonstop while the other residents scribbled furiously in their notes.
Huo Yun himself was taken aback by the scene. This was the kind of rapt attention usually reserved for him, the director. It was a testament to how flawless Wu Ting's performance was.
Director Huo gave Wu Ting an encouraging smile, silently urging him to go on.
Wu Ting did not disappoint.
"Next is the second question: why our project uses a 15°C antiseptic solution instead of the other options. It's because in actual clinical practice, many burn patients who arrive at the hospital within three hours have had insufficient pre-hospital cooling, or none at all. Using immersion or bathing methods for cold therapy in a hospital setting would carry a high risk of cross-infection."
"The pharmacological mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine or compound analgesic solutions are not clearly understood."
"Ice packs are too cold and can exacerbate circulatory problems, leading to deeper tissue damage."
"Therefore, when performing emergency debridement on patients with superficial second-degree burns, choosing the right remedial cold therapy to alleviate pain, thoroughly irrigate and disinfect the wound, and promote healing is critically important. To be honest, at first, I didn't understand why Director Huo made this particular choice either."
"It wasn't until I reviewed a vast amount of literature and case studies, and through my own hands-on experience over the past few days, that I finally understood the brilliance of Director Huo's decision. 15°C water is the most practical substance for cold therapy on burns. A low-temperature antiseptic solution made with it is incredibly simple to prepare, and irrigation is the gentlest, most effective, and most straightforward method of application!"
"It's easy to prepare, it's low-cost, and it offers a significant time advantage when treating large-area burns. This is the true genius of our project!"
"It's exactly the kind of brilliance I'd expect from Director Huo. It is truly an honor for me to be a part of this project!"
Wu Ting looked at Director Huo with an expression of genuine, heartfelt admiration.
Listening to Wu Ting's explanation, the other doctors finally understood the cleverness of the project.
"So that's it! As expected of Director Huo, what a brilliant concept!"
All the doctors turned to look at Huo Yun with admiration.
Huo Yun was inwardly startled. 'To be honest,' he thought, 'I had considered some of what Wu Ting just said. But a lot of it... I just came up with the idea off the top of my head back then. I never thought it through in such detail.' After all, as a department director, how could he have the energy to ponder such minute details?
However, after Wu Ting's explanation, it didn't matter if it wasn't true before—it was now.
But Huo Yun was a man of experience. He naturally accepted the admiration of his subordinates with a gracious smile.
His gaze on Wu Ting softened. 'This kid... he's got potential!'
Watching the exchange between Wu Ting and Director Huo, Cheng Feng broke out in a cold sweat. 'So,' he thought, 'this is the *real* way to understand the project.'