Moncton patient asking for hospital protocol for lesser-known neurological condition after leaving ER without being seen<\/p>\n
Published Jan 05, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 5\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 5 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n A Moncton patient is speaking out about a lack of awareness and protocol in the emergency department for a lesser-known neurological disorder.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the e-Edition, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalism and the next generation of journalists.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the e-Edition, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalism and the next generation of journalists.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to keep reading.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite journalists.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Tammy Dunston, of Berry Mills, suffered a concussion in June and since then her health has deteriorated. After multiple visits to her family doctor, she was told two months ago she has suspected dysautonomia or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).<\/p>\n She is waiting to meet with specialists such as a cardiologist and neurologist for more tests in order to get a formal diagnosis.<\/p>\n According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, POTS is part of a group of disorders that feature orthostatic intolerance, or difficulty to regulate blood pressure while in a standing position. Symptoms include a fast heartbeat, fatigue, headache, trouble breathing, dizziness or fainting because not enough blood flows back to the heart when the person moves from a lying down or seated position to standing up.<\/p>\n POTS commonly begins after a pregnancy, major surgery, puberty, trauma, or a viral illness, the institute stated on its website. Diagnosing it can be challenging because it resembles other neurological disorders.<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cI went from being a mom who volunteers, who\u2019s very outdoorsy to bedridden. I can\u2019t drive. I can\u2019t stand for long periods of time,\u201d she said. \u201cMy life has changed dramatically.\u201d<\/p>\n Though there is no cure for POTS, patients can work on managing low blood volume and problems with blood flow, as well as taking certain medications. Symptoms may come and go over time and in most cases POTS symptoms improve over time, though some symptoms may remain or last a long time, the institute said.<\/p>\n Dunston said she was at a physiotherapy appointment to work on exercises on Dec. 11. When she went to stand up, she could feel her heart rate and blood pressure shoot up.<\/p>\n Her physiotherapy team called an ambulance and monitored her vitals until the paramedics arrived to take her to The Moncton Hospital around 11 a.m. She noted at the time she was sensitive to light and shivering with a fluctuating heart rate.<\/p>\n Morning Email Times & Transcript<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Dunston requested for a chair or bed to elevate her legs and she was placed in a recliner near the staff break room.<\/p>\n She asked a nursing supervisor if the hospital had any ER protocol for POTS and dystaumia and was told there was no protocol.<\/p>\n This was not Dunston\u2019s first ER visit. She had been to The Moncton Hospital several times before. Once she was able to get seen by a physician and receive IV fluids. On another occasion the doctor did not know about POTS and she had to explain what the condition was.<\/p>\n During her 4-5 hour wait, Dunston asked nursing staff for several things, including vital signs monitoring, pain management, and IV fluids to help with low electrolytes, another common POTS symptom.<\/p>\n Nurses had told her they could help her with those things but did not return, she said. At one point she was told her location had not been recorded, so staff were unaware where she was. She also asked to speak to a patient advocate, but an advocate did not come.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cI felt alone like no one was listening,\u201d she said, noting in her distress she raised her voice at staff. \u201cAs my condition deteriorated, I felt increasingly unsafe.\u201d<\/p>\n A nursing supervisor eventually told her she had to either return to the waiting room or leave the ER.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this time I couldn\u2019t. My hands were numb. My feet were numb. I was in distress,\u201d said Dunston.<\/p>\n Paramedics removed the IV port they had inserted in case she was given fluids and Dunston said she left the ER without seeing a physician or receiving a discharge plan.<\/p>\n Dunston is one of thousands of Horizon patients who have left the ER without getting treatment.<\/p>\n Brunswick News reported in September that more than 41,000 patients walked out of Horizon Health Network hospital emergency rooms without being seen during the 2024-2025 fiscal year, according to a report from the Montreal Economic Institute, a non-profit think tank.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n When the report came out, Greg Doiron, Horizon\u2019s vice president of clinical operations, said the health network takes MEI\u2019s \u201creport and the data that was shared very seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvery patient who leaves without being seen represents someone who needed care, and that\u2019s unacceptable. It reflects numbers. The numbers reflect the systemic pressure that we have in the entire system,\u201d Doiron said.<\/p>\n Dunston has since been in contact with the hospital\u2019s patient advocate and filed a complaint with Horizon about her most recent ER visit, hoping her efforts will prevent similar situations from happening to other patients.<\/p>\n She would like to see the health authorities establish a protocol for when patients with POTS or dystaumia present to the emergency departments, so those patients can have access to vital sign monitoring, pain management, and IV fluids.<\/p>\n Advertisement 7<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cI just want people to be more aware of the matter, not only for me but for everybody that\u2019s living with autonomic disorders,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s no cure for POTS I understand that, but there is standardized care and I don\u2019t think that I even got standardized care.\u201d<\/p>\n Pam Power, Horizon\u2019s clinical executive director of emergency medicine and critical care, said in a statement Horizon is aware of the concerns Dunston raised about her ER experience and is taking it seriously.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we cannot comment on the specifics of an individual patient\u2019s care due to privacy considerations, we encourage any patient or family member with concerns to connect directly with our Patient Relations team so the situation can be reviewed thoroughly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Power said emergency departments triage patients using the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale, which is based on presenting symptoms and clinical assessment rather than a specific diagnosis alone.<\/p>\n Advertisement 8<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Patients presenting with symptoms consistent with conditions such as POTS or other forms of dysautonomia are assessed and prioritized based on the severity of symptoms at the time of presentation, including vital signs and overall clinical stability, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile Horizon does not have a condition-specific triage protocol for POTS, symptoms commonly associated with the condition \u2013 such as dizziness, syncope, tachycardia, or neurologic complaints \u2013 are well recognized and addressed through existing emergency assessment standards,\u201d said Power.<\/p>\n She noted Horizon has processes in place to monitor patient flow and ensure patients in waiting areas are tracked and reassessed appropriately.<\/p>\n \u201cAny breakdown in these processes is taken seriously and reviewed through our quality and safety frameworks to identify opportunities for improvement,\u201d Power said, adding that Horizon remains committed to providing \u201csafe, timely, and respectful\u201d emergency care and reviewing feedback to improve patient experience.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links Moncton to MiramichiThe IssuesHealth careTimes and Transcript Moncton patient asking for hospital protocol for lesser-known…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":394376,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[64,63,137,500],"class_list":{"0":"post-394375","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-healthcare"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=394375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394375\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/394376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=394375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=394375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=394375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Tammy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1231-tt-patient.jpeg\")
Tammy Dunston, of Berry Mills, said she wants to see Horizon Health Network incorporate a protocol for patients that present to the ER with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a lesser known neurological disorder. Dunston, who is suspected to have POTS, said she left The Moncton Hospital ER without being seen. SUBMITTEDArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Telegraph-Journal\"](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.2.3\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tj.svg\"){kind=logo}
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