Teen’s ‘nightmare’ hospital wait a symptom of Alberta’s health-care breakdown, doctors warn – CBC

B.C. girl spent 29 hours ‘in agony’ before receiving surgery for appendicitis

Sep 29, 2022

A teenage girl’s agonizing wait to have her perforated appendix removed highlights the crisis that’s unfolding in Alberta hospitals and putting patient safety at risk, front-line health-care providers are warning.

“It was an unbelievable and terrifying experience,” recalled Sonia Furstenau, who was visiting Edmonton from B.C. with her family in late August when her 15-year-old suddenly became ill.

Furstenau, who is the Green Party leader in B.C., took her daughter to the ER at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra hospital at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 17.

She was armed with a letter from a doctor at a nearby walk-in clinic who sent them, suspecting appendicitis.

But, with the hospital overwhelmed, they waited 90 minutes before even seeing a triage nurse. Her daughter moved from the waiting room to an ER bed around 9 p.m. but wasn’t sent for tests and officially diagnosed with acute appendicitis until the next morning.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/teen-s-nightmare-hospital-wait-a-symptom-of-alberta-s-health-care-breakdown-doctors-warn-1.6599216