Canada (Commonwealth Union)_Alberta’s children’s hospitals are under severe pressure as they battle with an increasing number of sick children and a rising percentage of those who are gravely ill. Calgary’s Alberta Children’s Hospital and Edmonton’s Stollery Children’s Hospital are facing a wave of viral infections, including influenza, RSV, and the common cold. Additionally, there are occasional cases of COVID-19 too.
According to Dr. Stephen Freedman, a professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at the University of Calgary, “This is by far the busiest pediatric emergency departments across the country have probably ever been”. He further spoke about the latest outbreak. “When you combine [ongoing staffing shortages] with very high volumes of children seeking emergency department care and the acuity, which is quite high, that really is leading to emergency departments that are bursting at the seams,” he said.
Since late September, posted wait times at the Alberta Children’s Hospital (ACH) and the Stollery have increased to 17 and 16.5 hours, respectively. According to Alberta Health Services, the number of kids triaged at ACH as requiring urgent, emergent, and critical care increased by 24 percent between September 2021 and September 2022. The Edmonton Stollery Children’s Hospital witnessed an increase of 5.5%. According to the AHS, pediatric hospital admissions are increasing rapidly.
Dr. Sam Wong, head of the pediatrics division of the Alberta Medical Association, stated that admissions at both the Stollery and Alberta Children’s Hospitals have reached maximum capacity. He added that with the majority of youngsters falling ill, they are also witnessing an increased number of children who are gravely unwell, including those pre-teens who are particularly afflicted by influenza. “They are ending up in ICU requiring intubation and blood pressure support. So, it is a serious illness,” he said.
Four of the thirteen Albertans admitted to intensive care thus far with flu are kids younger than nine. Dr. Eddy Lang observes the same pattern in youngsters with RSV or respiratory syncytial virus. According to the most recent statistics released by AHS, pediatric visits to emergency rooms in September stood barely below five-year highs. However, experts report that the number has increased since then, and that it is uncertain when this virus outbreak will reach its peak.
