Digestive Health Care
Procedure Emergency cases* Urgent cases* Scheduled cases*
Acute gastrointestinal bleeding N/A Within 24 hours N/A
Esophageal food bolus or foreign body obstruction N/A Within 24 hours N/A
Clinical features of ascending cholangitis N/A Within 24 hours N/A
Severe acute pancreatitis (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography within 72 h, if indicated) N/A Within 24 hours N/A
Severe decompensated liver disease N/A Within 24 hours N/A
Acute severe hepatitis N/A Within 24 hours N/A
High likelihood of cancer based on imaging or physical examination N/A N/A Within 2 weeks
Painless obstructive acute jaundice N/A N/A Within 2 weeks
Severe and/or rapidly progressive dysphagia or odynophagia N/A N/A Within 2 weeks
Clinical features suggestive of active inflammatory bowel disease N/A N/A Within 2 weeks
Bright red rectal bleeding N/A N/A Within 2 months
Documented iron deficiency anemia N/A N/A Within 2 months
One or more positive fecal occult blood tests N/A N/A Within 2 months
Chronic viral hepatitis N/A N/A Within 2 months
Stable dysphagia (not severe) N/A N/A Within 2 months
Poorly controlled reflux/dyspepsia N/A N/A Within 2 months
Chronic constipation or chronic diarrhea N/A N/A Within 2 months
New onset change in bowel habit N/A N/A Within 2 months
Chronic unexplained abdominal pain N/A N/A Within 2 months
Confirmation of a diagnosis of celiac disease (antibody test) N/A N/A Within 2 months
Chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease for screening endoscopy N/A N/A Within 6 months
Screening colonoscopy N/A N/A Within 6 months
Persistent (more than 6 months) unexplained abnormal liver enzyme tests N/A N/A Within 6 months

* Priority or urgency levels are defined as follows:

  • Emergency = immediate danger to life, limb or organ;
  • Urgent = Situation that is unstable and has the potential to deteriorate quickly and result in an emergency admission;
  • Scheduled = Situation involving minimal pain, dysfunction or disability (also called "routine" or "elective").

Note: Unless specified, time refers to calendar days between decision to treat by specialist and the day treatment is received.

Reference: Canadian consensus on medically acceptable wait times for digestive health carePDF

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