Chapter 23: The Terrifying Counterfeit Medicines_2

Colds can easily lead to viral myocarditis and can also cause shock.

However, it is rare for children to experience this condition.

Both X-rays and blood tests point to normal.

It can essentially be excluded.

Zhou Can stepped out of the resuscitation room and went straight to the family.

"May I ask who are Zhu Wenwen's parents?"

"I am the child's mother. Doctor, how is my son?"

"He is currently being resuscitated, and the situation doesn't look very optimistic. Has Zhu Wenwen been staying with you recently?"

"Yes! My son is so well-behaved, I would've never imagined that a cold could get so serious, sob sob…"

As Zhu Wenwen's mother spoke, tears began falling down her cheeks.

"Please listen to me, the hospital is doing its best in the resuscitation efforts. If you can provide some important information, it might be of great help to the resuscitation work."

Zhou Can communicated patiently with the family.

"Ask me anything you want to know, I will definitely cooperate."

She looked at Zhou Can with teary eyes; now the doctor was her only hope.

"After Zhu Wenwen caught a cold, are you certain he didn't receive any injections or IV fluids at a clinic?"

"Absolutely not."

"So he just took the Cold Relief Capsules?"

"Yes. I personally fed them to my son."

"How many did he take in total?"

"Four capsules. Two last night and another two this morning. I followed the instructions strictly; it said to take two capsules at a time, three times a day."

"Did you bring the remaining medicine?"

"I did, I did. I was worried that we might need to continue giving him medicine at the hospital, so I brought everything."

She took out a small plastic bag from her purse, which contained a box of medicine.

Zhou Can took it over to inspect.

The packaging box was labeled with "Cold Relief Capsules," specifically for treating headache, nasal congestion, runny nose…

Something was not quite right. Why was the packaging different from the Cold Relief Capsules in the hospital pharmacy?

Upon closer inspection, turns out it was a knockoff brand.

These days, pharmaceutical companies have also learned to ride the coattails of popularity.

They would package their similar drugs to look like those with high market recognition.

For instance, if a well-recognized brand is the "999 Cold Relief Capsules,"

this pharmaceutical company simply removed the three nines, playing a game of deception.

The manufacturer's information was all true, though affiliated with a pharmaceutical company name he had never heard of.

What concerned Zhou Can the most was the composition of the medicine.

All medications on the market must go through multiple reviews by regulatory agencies. This can't be faked.

The drug components must also be declared honestly.

"Tribulus terrestris, wild chrysanthemum, caffeine, acetaminophen, chlorphenamine maleate, mint leaves, the excipient is talcum powder."

The components were exactly the same as those of the 999 Cold Relief Capsules.

One had to admire the mimicking capability of these small pharmaceutical companies.

After taking out the capsules, there were twelve capsules per pack, leaving eight remaining.

This confirmed that the child's mother didn't lie.

The boy took four capsules.

Actually, the dosage mentioned on it was tailored for adults. For a twelve-year-old child, the dosage should be halved.

However, many parents worry that a lower dosage may not be effective and often choose to administer the adult dosage to their children.

Normally, there should also be a paper insert included.

After Zhou Can took out the capsules, indeed, there was a folded white instruction leaflet inside the box.

The content on it was largely similar to the instructions on the packaging box.

Ordinary consumers often can't be bothered to read it.

Only professional medical personnel could perceive some different information from the leaflet.

"This medicine contains potent paracetamol ingredients, which can quickly alleviate pain and help you recover."

It was such a slogan-like statement that caught Zhou Can's attention.

What does potentiation mean?

It means a stronger effect can only be achieved by increasing the dosage.

What is Paracetamol? Ordinary people might not know, but Zhou Can is very clear about it. Acetaminophen and Paracetamol are the same drug.

This also means that the acetaminophen content in this counterfeit box of cold capsules is likely far higher than the genuine 999 Cold Relief Capsules.

For small pharmaceutical companies to grab market share, it's common to increase the active ingredient to enhance the drug's effect.

As for patient safety, those heartless bosses couldn't care less.

As long as it doesn't kill anyone or cause serious consequences like disability, it's considered fine.

"I get it now, the child might have an allergy to Paracetamol or might have taken an overdose, leading to shock and critical condition."

Zhou Can's mind brightened.

No wonder the child's symptoms seemed familiar – he had seen similar descriptions in a medical book at the library before.

He never expected to actually encounter such a case today.

[Pathological Diagnosis Experience Points +1.]

Experience Points were duly acquired.

It seems that the child's shock was due to an overdose of acetaminophen.

"This time, there's no need to beg for help from those 'emperors' of cardiology."

Zhou Can is now a doctor in the Emergency Department, and his pride is tied to the Emergency Department.

He was happy to alleviate some of the department's concerns.

"Thank you for the valuable information. This medicine isn't genuine, I'll take it for a drug composition test," Zhou Can told the family and hurried back to the resuscitation room.

Upon entering, he found that the 'emperors' of cardiology had finally arrived.

It was a young doctor around thirty-five or thirty-six years old.

Judging from the situation, he must have just arrived.

He was examining the child's condition.

So young, definitely not a chief physician. Cardiology likely sent any available doctor to perform the task.

"Even for a cold, you ask for a consultation from our cardiologists. Don't Emergency Department doctors read books?"

The person spoke with a cold face, not finding the cause but instead sneering at the doctors of the Emergency Department first.

The doctors in the Emergency Department were furious but dared not express it. They needed help now, so they had to endure.

"Looking at the symptoms, heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen, and other indicators, the patient's shock isn't particularly severe. It's not a life-threatening situation for now. Give me the blood test report."

The commanding tone was rather unsettling.

It wasn't quite appropriate for Director Lou to personally hand the report over, especially not in response to that demeaning tone.

Imagine, would it be fitting for an emperor of one nation to hand documents to a servant of another like a subordinate?

The status of the Emergency Department might be low, but not to such a demeaned extent.

Zhou Can was about to step forward as a courier.

But the nurse beat him to it.

She naturally took the report from Director Lou's hand and passed it over.

"Doctor He, here's the blood test report for the child."

After accepting it, he scrutinized the report but seemed to find nothing of value.

"Did you take any imaging?"

"We did an ultrasound and CT scan; no issues found."

The imaging was also passed over.

Doctor He meticulously checked each one but still didn't find anything.

Actually, the doctors from internal medicine can't be too mythologized. When it comes to basic medicine, everyone's level isn't that much different.

If they couldn't read an imaging scan or blood test result, they couldn't possibly stay at Tuya Hospital.

"Doctor He, have you found out what the problem is?" Director Lou asked.

Now, his main concern was how to save the patient.

"Don't rush, this patient's condition is a bit complicated. I need to think more about it." Doctor He had set his tone too high earlier and now found it difficult to back down, so he was stubbornly holding his ground.

"Heh, even the cardiologist Doctor He needs to seriously consider to diagnose the cause, it seems this cold is no simple matter!"

One of the enraged Emergency Department doctors fired a shot.

The sarcasm wasn't overt, just a bit of ironic teasing.

After all, when Doctor He first came in, he had arrogantly taunted them, asking if the Emergency Department doctors ever read books since even a cold required a consultation with a cardiologist.

"I didn't say it's difficult, just a bit complex. We need to be more meticulous in diagnosing," Doctor He insisted, stubborn to the end.