I don't generally watch the news but last night I stayed up and watched the Calgary Global News hour @ 11pm. The top story was about a 18 year old boy who was taken to Emergency and diagnosed with a burst appendix and was scheduled for surgery. While he and his mom waited, 12 hours passed and sadly so do he. Yes you read it right, he died. The CHR says it wouldn't have matter how long or short the wait was, he would have died no matter what. I am puzzled by this, why then schedule him for surgery if there was nothing they could do to prevent the worst outcome? Why not tell the family there's nothing they can do and to have all his family with him in his last hours? Why? The CHR's response doesn't make sense to me.
On the KTLA news their top story was about a women in pain and laying on the floor of a Emergency waiting room in a US Hospital, somewhere. As she laid there in pain no one on staff would help her. I don't know why she couldn't get help, but she ended up dying right there, in a place that had the full capacity to prevent it. The person with her actually called 911 for help and when the 911 heard they were already at a hospital they would not help them. Not that 911 is really at fault, why would they even think that you couldn't get help at and Hospitals ER?
So This posts titled "Really!", because from my last post, making an ER visit the other day, I am REALLY Thankful to have have and ER so close and to have short waiting times. Yes Nevee wasn't a serious case but still her croup could have been so bad her vocal cords could have swollen shut in the very worse scenario. Our hospital isn't equipped with everything, if surgery is needed you would be rushed to Lethbridge Regional. But by the time you wait at the LRH and are seen and diagnosed you would probably already be in surgery if you had been looked at in Raymond and taken to the LRH. (does that make sense?)
Anyway REALLY Thankful is how I feel!
3 comments:
about the boy with the burst appendix...once it has burst, there is very little to do, except get in and clean it out because it is a major source of infection. he was probably septic (which means the infection got into his blood and spread all over), they were right when they said it didn't matter how long he waited. as for the lady in the US emerg...triage puts through those that are the sickest and those that aren't need to wait. unfortunately sometimes you can't tell exactly what is wrong with a person. and just because she was screaming in pain, doesn't put her to the front of the line (i've seen plenty of people in "pain" that really weren't that bad off). it is sad, but the same thing could happen here.
as for your visit to the raymond emerg, don't let that cloud your vision. wait times in lethbridge can be just as bad as calgary. it's because people (the exact opposite of you) go to emerg for the stupidest things and take time and beds from those that really need them (like the lady the died in the waiting room). we all need to be smart about how we use our medical resources.
can i repost your blog on my blog?
Hey Nat sure you can repost my post. I hope you don't think I think less of theose who work in Calgary, Lethbridge or any other area. I really don't blame any Staff, there just seems to be a problem with needing more staff and possably larger facilities. I realize it does require lots of $$$$$ and time. Please don't think I am ragging on Hospital Staff, I admire and comend all who work in this difficult area! I also realize that you, along with co workers, put up with alot of crap and I know that you are human and do the best you can! And ya I believe you on the wait times in Lethbridge, my sister in law comes to the ER here if she needs to and she lives in Lethbridge. Still we have to be thankful for what medical practices we have here it could be alot worse.
i know you're not ragging on the staff, i just wanted to give another perspective.
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