Here are just a few pictures taken in the acupuncture department. Wow, the Chinese are definitely not scared of needles! Most of the needles they use are much thicker than ones typically used in the U.S. Also, a good majority of the needles they use are not disposable, meaning they rely their own means of sterilization. This was a little scary to see being that their standard for sterilization is much different than what we're used to. (In the U.S. all needles must be not only be sterile, but disposable. Therefore needles are prepackaged as sterile, used once, and then discarded in a biohazard container.)
The acupuncture department in a TCM hospital treats all kinds of disorders. The doctors here also treat with herbal and Western medicine, based on the condition. I was surprised to see many patients with stroke and facial paralysis. Most treatments also included, e-stim (electrical stimulation attached to the needle). The most interesting case I saw was a 67 year old man who had suffered from a CVA (stroke). Besides, right-sided paralysis, his chief complaint was aphasia (the inability to speak). The doctor pricked and bled the acupoints, Jin jin and Yu ye, located on the veins on both sides of the frenulum of the tongue... OUCH!! The patient bled profusely for minutes. Thankfully, the sight of blood doesn't bother me.
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I am very excited to be doing a rotation in Oncology the next few days. I was even more excited when I found out I would be in Inpatient. My first morning started off following a group of doctors while making their rounds. We visited patients in their rooms and the translator tried to summarize the patients' medical charts with us. The process was a little frustrating because the translator seemed to be having difficulty with the discussion about Western medications. Also, I wanted to ask a million questions but I couldn't because there were too many people in the room and it wasn't the right setting. I spent the beginning of this week in the Outpatient Cardiology Department. The patients here have varying conditions... hypertension, congestive heart failure, ventricular stenosis, etc... Every once in a while the patient is evaluated and then admitted to Inpatient because of the severity of his/her condition (very exciting!... at least for me, probably not so much for the patient.) One of the things I learned from the translators is that most patients are extremely hesitant to be admitted to Inpatient because it usually means that there is a good chance they won't come out. Most hospitals in China only have beds for the sickest patients so a patient is usually only admitted if his/her condition is a life threatening. Orientation started at 8:30 AM sharp on Monday morning. The coordinator, dean, and translators greeted us with a warm welcome once we arrived at the university. They served us tea and shared with us how please they were to have us. We also learned of our assigned rotations and was given the schedule for our classes which are held in the afternoon. I was happy to hear that rotations we're fixed and that I could could change rotations after a few days if I wanted to take part in another specialty or area of the hospital. The rotations we can choose from include: cardiology, oncology, pulmonology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, pediatrics, dermatology, Tui Na and bone setting. Wow, I can't even think of what words to use to explain the complete chaos and craziness of this hospital system. Prior to starting our rotation we were given a tour of the administration area, check-out, triage, and herbal pharmacies. Although it appears as complete disorganization, I am starting to think it is not just this hospital... but the common way of life in here in China. There were literally hundreds of people everywhere and the check-out and triage are just overwhelmed. The hospital is hugh... 5 large structures that are very easy to get lost in. One of the most fascinating things I saw was the herbal decoction pharmacy. This pharmacy fills scripts in decoction form (raw herbs cooked as a tea) for patients. Patients are promised their prescription within 30 minutes... CRAZY!! |
About ChristineI just completed a 4.5 year Chinese medical program at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, CA. I am very excited to have this opportunity to study Chinese Medicine where it originated. I will be traveling to Chengdu, Beijing, and Shanghai. |