Teen’s ‘nightmare’ hospital wait a symptom of Alberta’s healthcare 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, frontline healthcare 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 took her daughter, Eleanor, 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. Eleanor 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.
