Zhong Nanshan: Guardian of Life

Chapter 21 Climbing New Heights
The main direction of Zhong Nanshan's study in the UK is the research and prevention of respiratory diseases.After returning to China, he and other leaders of the Respiratory Research Institute jointly set the main research directions of the Respiratory Research Institute: the pathogenesis and diagnosis and treatment of bronchial asthma; the mechanism and treatment of hypoxic arterial hypertension; the pathogenesis of bronchial lung cancer and adult respiratory distress syndrome Syndrome prevention and treatment; COPD diaphragm function; COPD and cor pulmonale patients nutrition and nutritional therapy.

Zhong Nanshan led a team to Guangzhou Petrochemical Complex to conduct lung function tests on the workers in the ammonia operation area, and compared the test data with the test data of people in relatively non-polluted areas in Guangzhou.The research results show that it is not absolutely safe to work for a long time in the ammonia standard safety concentration environment set by my country's national health standards at that time.Zhong Nanshan's research results provide a scientific basis for my country to formulate a safe standard concentration of ammonia in the petrochemical industry.The research on petrochemical plants did not end here, and Zhong Nanshan linked the research results to research on the impact of smoking on respiratory diseases.In [-], Zhong Nanshan led the team of the Respiratory Research Institute to use the British Thoracic Society standard consultation and census form he brought back from the UK, together with the World Health Organization, Guangdong Conghua Primary Health Care Center, and Guangdong Conghua Respiratory Disease Prevention and Control Group, went to The survey and study of Liangkou Town, Conghua, Guangdong Province collected valuable first-hand survey data.After the data was available, Zhong Nanshan and his colleagues spent a lot of hard work and energy, all relying on manual work, to sort out and make statistics on the data because the Respiratory Research Institute did not have the computer required for statistical calculations, and came to the conclusion that smoking is related to chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma The conclusion of the relationship between the pathogenesis and the prevention and treatment methods suitable for the local area have been found.This painstaking investigation has filled the gap in the investigation and research of smoking and chronic bronchitis in South China, and provided guidance for the prevention and treatment of chronic bronchitis in South China.After the investigation, Guangdong Conghua established a respiratory disease prevention research base, which laid a good foundation for further in-depth research.The research paper "Current Situation of Smoking in Conghua, Guangzhou and its Relationship with Chronic Bronchitis" has aroused the attention and attention of the medical circles at home and abroad. This research was included in the scientific research plan of the World Health Organization.

In the etiology and prevention experiment of cor pulmonale, Zhong Nanshan invited live pigs.In fact, as early as when Zhong Nanshan broadened his field of vision from bronchitis to pulmonary heart disease research, he began to look for suitable experimental animals.In the beginning, Zhong Nanshan, who had been a "rat breeder" when he was a teenager, chose to use mice for experiments.But the mice are suitable for father Zhong Shifan's mouse embryo virus culture research, but not ideal for Zhong Nanshan's research on pulmonary heart disease.Later, the experimental animals were replaced by pigs.Zhong Nanshan discovered that the lungs and hearts of pigs are similar to those of humans, and pigs can also get cor pulmonale.Zhong Nanshan and his colleagues began to experiment on pigs.There was no place to do experiments, so everyone moved their desks outside, drove the pigs in, went in at six in the morning, and came out at one in the middle of the night.The big fat pig often goes in and out of the research institute, and whenever "Mr. Pig" shows up, Zhong Nanshan and the researchers have to conduct experiments for more than ten hours, and they are so tired that they can't straighten their backs after they come out.

After unremitting efforts, they finally figured out the pathogenesis and pathological causes of cor pulmonale, found the relationship between hypoxia and pulmonary arteries, found out the cause of pulmonary hypertension, and provided a new basis for the treatment of cor pulmonale.

In the process of conducting experiments on pigs, the researchers have mastered the necessary technical skills in cardiopulmonary research and achieved remarkable research results, making the scientific research level of the Institute rank among the most advanced in China.

After finding the cause, Zhong Nanshan and his colleagues from the Institute of Respiratory Medicine continued to move forward, exploring the direction of alleviating the pain of patients and treating and recovering.Zhong Nanshan discovered the importance of nutritional support therapy for the treatment and rehabilitation of patients.Zhong Nanshan tried to increase nutrition, strengthen the physique and fight against the disease on the basis of consolidating the foundation.On the basis of this research, in [-], he proposed the basic energy consumption correction formula for Chinese COPD patients for the first time in China.After hundreds of experiments, Zhong Nanshan and his scientific research colleagues finally developed the complete nutrient "Uterisan" that meets the nutritional needs of Chinese COPD patients. "Uteresan" can significantly improve the energy acquisition and metabolism level of patients, and plays an extremely important role in the nutritional supply and treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cor pulmonale in China.

Fighting soldiers requires good weapons, and scientific researchers need suitable experimental instruments to explore the peak of science.To study asthma, it is necessary to measure the airway response.For a long time, the instruments for measuring airway response have been imported instruments, which are expensive, and there are only a few in the country, which cannot cover grassroots hospitals at all.Zhong Nanshan's research is moving forward, but the update speed of the unit's equipment and instruments cannot keep up with his rhythm.Zhong Nanshan used 800 milliliters of blood to "wake up" the malfunctioning equipment in the UK back then.No instrument, we make it ourselves!Zhong Nanshan worked hard for three months, and finally developed a simple bronchial stimulation test device.This experimental instrument has the same detection effect as imported instruments, easy to operate, and low price. It is an instrument suitable for China's national conditions and the actual conditions of China's medical and scientific research.This achievement has benefited the vast number of medical workers and patients. It not only proves to the world the creative ability of Chinese scientific researchers in high-end, precise and cutting-edge instruments and equipment, but also shows that China's medical scientific research work has gradually moved away from relying entirely on imported equipment. The status quo, stepping into a good direction of independence and self-sufficiency.Since then, Zhong Nanshan has successively developed a computerized diaphragm muscle function tester and a peak speed meter in the process of research and advancement... He is like the fighter running against the wind on the track, overcoming obstacles and using his own hands and wisdom to open up a new frontier for the latecomers. walk the road.

It has to be said that in order to become a leader in a certain industry, in addition to lofty ambitions, diligence and hard work, you also need to make bold assumptions in the professional field.When Zhong Nanshan first joined the chronic bronchitis prevention and treatment team, with his keen intuition, he found the direction of research on chronic bronchitis from the patient's sputum.After returning to China, he noticed the "intractable cough of unknown etiology" which was underestimated because of the common symptoms.Zhong Nanshan recalled an incident recorded in his notes when he was studying in the UK: In 11, Professor Dumas Petty of the Colorado State University School of Medicine proposed the concept of "hidden asthma", but due to lack of specific data , not recognized by the medical profession.Zhong Nanshan is determined to dig deep into the aspect of "stubborn cough" and clarify the proposition of "occult asthma".Zhong Nanshan started with the relationship between airway hyperresponsiveness and asthma, set up a census plan, and organized personnel from the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases to conduct investigations and research.After several years of census and follow-up to obtain a large number of first-hand data, Zhong Nanshan and researchers in the paper "does asymptomatic airway hyperresponsiveness suggest occult asthma?" ", for the first time confirmed and perfected the concept of "hidden asthma" proposed by Dumas Petty.Zhong Nanshan's new view of "occult asthma" was presented at the [-] Asia-Pacific Chest Conference, the [-] Asia-Pacific Respiratory Conference, the [-] European Respiratory Conference, and the [-] Hong Kong International Conference. Presented at Pediatric Disease Conference.Among them, "Adolescent Airway Responsiveness Data" was selected as the best exhibited article by the No.[-] Asia-Pacific Chest Conference. The viewpoint of "hidden asthma" was cited by the "Global Initiative for the Prevention and Control of Asthma" jointly authored by the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and has been recognized by domestic and foreign counterparts.Zhong Nanshan was awarded the title of "Special Committee Member" by the American Thoracic Society.Zhong Nanshan's "occult asthma" research results have played a positive role in promoting the prevention and treatment of asthma in my country.

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