episode_0117

Episode 117. Euthanasia (3)

****

I looked at the patient.

“You want to live, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s look at the arms and legs.”

The patient’s limbs were not black, and there were petechial hemorrhages scattered on the limbs. Red spots appeared.

Although I suggested euthanasia, I still think it is a more comfortable option for both parties. It is not an incurable condition.

The bacterial toxin of the Black Death is circulating in the bloodstream. Although the septicemic Black Death has already begun, the fact that it is not black yet means that necrosis has not yet begun.

I closed my eyes.

What is the treatment for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)?

It’s an anticoagulant or antiplatelet agent. The red spots appear because the clot is blocking the small blood vessels, and necrosis will begin soon.

Heparin.

Can I use heparin now? If I use heparin, the bleeding will be worse. The bruising will be worse. Can’t it prevent necrosis?

I don’t know what the best way is.

“What is your name?”

“This is Chris.”

“Okay, Mr. Chris. I’m going to give you some blood thinners now. The bruising will get worse in the short term, but it might stop your limbs from rotting.”

Chris nodded resolutely.

“Then.”

Heparin is not a drug that is usually injected directly into a vein. Heparin prevents blood clots, which can cause severe bruising, bleeding, or unstoppable bleeding at the needle insertion site.

I know that the principle is through a venous catheter or subcutaneous injection. Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.

Anticoagulants taken by mouth can take hours to work. Right now, the only option is to inject them directly into a blood vessel.

I took a vein from the patient’s arm and injected heparin into the patient’s arm.

“Yes. At least sit up straight until the sun sets. If you feel anything wrong with your body, tell me right away.”

Chris nodded.

“Because it is a medicine that prevents blood from clotting, there is a possibility that the area where the needle was inserted will not heal properly. Press and hold the area where you just pricked the needle for about an hour.”

“An hour?”

“Why, are you busy today?”

I don’t think you’re busy. The patient shook his head in disbelief. I need to give you antibiotics, too.

“Take one pill a day.”

****

I was sorting out the situation. I kept wiping my hands with alcohol. Even though I had a means of defense, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Because there is no such thing as perfect protection.

People with the bubonic plague were given a week’s supply of medicine, along with oral rehydration fluids.

Chris, the only patient suspected of having pneumonic plague, was treated with some care.

Patients with septicemic plague whose limbs had turned black… … were given one tablet of antibiotics each. If they were still alive tomorrow, let’s think about it then, those people.

It’s a terrible disease.

The muscles that move your fingers are in your arms, not your fingers. Even if your fingers are numb and rotting, you can still move them.

“That’s it, Archbishop.”

“There are no patients who were euthanized, right?”

“Yes.”

Most of the medical professionals I met in modern times were in favor of euthanasia or death with dignity. There were many elderly patients with no possibility of improvement and whose suffering would only increase. The atmosphere here was different.

Most of the patients are young.

It was a different weight to hand over a consent form to refuse life-sustaining treatment to an 80-year-old man who was beginning to show signs of dementia, and to suggest euthanasia through opium to a crying young man.

anyway.

“All medications have been prescribed. Patients who can get better will start getting better soon.”

“Are there many patients who cannot get better?”

“All patients with blackened limbs. Even if they get better, they will live with disabilities for the rest of their lives.”

There was nothing I could do. I was not a patient, and there was no reason to tell another doctor. The archbishop nodded with a dark expression.

I handed a vial to the archbishop.

“This is an antibiotic for the plague. If the patient comes again, you can give them one pill a day.”

“Where are you going, Professor?”

“I need to go to the doctor.”

The archbishop caught me.

“It’s too dangerous.”

“Aren’t there many patients in quarantine at home? No one knows whether these quarantined people are with patients or healthy people. We need to go and treat them.”

“Do you really have to go? Wouldn’t it be better to stay at the temple and treat the patients?”

“We need to find the source of the disease.”

How to solve the plague. If there is no one currently infected with the Black Death, the plague will end. That is why euthanasia was proposed.

“I’m worried.”

“I will leave it to the hospital.”

Euthanasia is probably the only realistic solution. If you don’t want to use that method, I have no choice but to treat each and every one of them.

****

I ran towards Winia’s castle.

The lord of Winia, whom I hadn’t seen before, was waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he let out a sigh that was half relieved and half worried.

“The professor is the one who came on a mission.”

“Oh, my lord. I disinfected myself again when I left the temple. Please don’t come near me.”

The lord of Winia nodded.

The lord of Winia was a man who looked like a corpse, but I thought that if the circumstances had not been like this, he might have been a normal-looking person.

“What do you think the situation is like, Professor?”

I agonized over my choice of words.

“I said the same thing to the Archbishop. If the situation worsens like this, we should consider euthanasia for seriously ill patients with no chance of recovery.”

“It’s brutal.”

“Sorry, this is the best I can do.”

Yeongju sank into the chair like someone exhausted. I looked at Yeongju from behind the mask.

“Why do you think so?”

“Patients whose limbs have turned black have no chance of recovery and are a danger to those around them. My suggestion was to send them off to opium while we still have control over the situation.”

The lord of Winia did not answer right away.

“Did you do that?”

“Because there is strong opposition.”

“That makes sense… … .”

The lord of Winia sighed again.

“Okay, I see. When the temple beds are full. When you lose control of the situation. Let’s start with the seriously ill patients.”

I nodded.

“Thank you for your decision.”

“Are there any other solutions?”

There is work that must be done.

The main vector of the Black Death was the flea.

Although there are no rats visible on the street, you should consider which house has infested fleas and how to kill them.

“Fleas must be exterminated.”

How to catch a flea… … .

****

Hedwig was waiting for me.

“Do you have any plans?”

I nodded.

“Please prepare firewood, mats, vodka, paint, and wood polish. And the soldiers we will mobilize. We will go to the scene now.”

“It’s possible, but why paint and varnish?”

“I’m going to disinfect it.”

Hedwig scratched her head.

“I’ll get ready to go out today. But what’s the situation? Are you going to the hospital?”

“Yes.”

The most effective way to kill fleas is probably DDT, but I also looked into what other methods are available in this world.

****

There are currently about ten homes under quarantine.

The situation is still controllable.

The soldiers took up positions in front of the first house. A bonfire was lit in front of the house. The soldiers the lord had given me looked at me.

“Okay. Here’s the plan. I’ll treat the plague patients, and you’ll repaint, disinfect, and burn all the furniture that can be burned.”

“Question.”

“Yes.”

Captain Lin.

A sharp-eyed female wizard. She was said to be one of the wizards of Winia Castle.

“What is the purpose of doing this?”

“There are two ways in which the Black Death can spread. Pneumonic plague is spread through coughing, and other types of plague are spread through insects.”

“The process of catching bugs?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

I continued talking.

“So, you have to kill all the bugs. You can kill fleas with paint, salt, vodka, etc. Bedbugs are hard to deal with, so let’s pray that they don’t exist. And. You absolutely must not get bitten by bugs.”

Lin nodded.

Operation begins.

We knocked on the door of the quarantined house. A very haggard-looking man opened the door.

“What’s going on?”

“I am a healer. I came out to treat plague patients and disinfect houses.”

“He’s already gone.”

You came too late.

If only I had come a day earlier, I might have survived. I sighed.

“Are there any other patients?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry, I’m just disinfecting the mansion.”

It’s fortunate that there are no more patients in the quarantined house… … But it’s also possible that they just don’t have any symptoms. It could be a lie. Just because you were quarantined with a plague patient doesn’t mean you’ll definitely get it.

There is no way to know for sure.

Let’s go ahead with the plan for now.