Useful Management Information

  • There are many causes of persistent cough. These can be categorised into:
    • Respiratory
    • ENT (PN drip)
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Drug related (ACEI, aspirin, beta blockers)
    • Cardiac (heart failure)

Treatment trial:
Ensure occult sino-nasal disease, unresolved infectious bronchitis and acid reflux have been considered and treated appropriately. ACE inhibitors should be ceased, and an alternate medication substituted (e.g. angiotensin 2 receptor antagonists).

  1. Four-week trial of PPI
  2. If unsuccessful, or symptoms of PN drip, commence a six-week trial of intra nasal steroid
  3. If unsuccessful, or evidence of asthma, commence a four-week trial of inhaled steroids
  4. If unsuccessful, complete CT chest scan (including high resolution images) and refer to specialist.

Clinician resources

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • No category 1 criteria
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • No category 2 criteria
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • Cough present for > 8 weeks with normal Chest X-Ray and normal spirometry and no improvement following treatment trial as specified in Useful Management Information
  • If the patient does not meet the criteria for referral but the referring practitioner believes the patient requires specialist review, a clinical override may be requested:
    • Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.)
  • Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service.

Essential Referral Information

  • Symptoms
    • Duration and severity
    • Associated syncope, incontinence, SOB
  • Relevant examination findings (if applicable)
    • History of ENT problems or GORD
    • Check uniform lung expansion and any percussive changes
  • Medications including results of treatment trial as per defined in Other useful information
  • FBC
  • ELFT
  • ESR
  • HRCT if the cough has been present for >8 weeks
  • Chest X-Ray

If a specific test result is unable to be obtained due to access, financial, religious, cultural or consent reasons a Clinical Override may be requested. This reason must be clearly articulated in the body of the referral.

Additional Referral Information

  • Symptoms including:
    • any diurnal variation in severity (e.g. nocturnal or positional)
    • triggers e.g. air temp, food, talking, exercise
    • swallowing difficulties
    • voice change
  • High resolution chest CT (if already performed)
  • Spirometry pre and post bronchodilator
  • Smoking and occupational history if relevant
  • Previous gastroscopy findings
Last updated 1 March 2024

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Respiratory (E-Blueslips)
Sleep Clinic Adult (E-Blueslips)

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Booking and Referral Centre
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

1300 559 083

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

Service Availability

Dr Maninder Singh
Medical Director Respiratory and Sleep Medicine

Facilities

Gold Coast University Hospital
Robina Hospital

If you would like to send a named referral, please address it to the specialist listed above, who will allocate a suitably qualified specialist to see the patient. Alternatively, you can view a full list of our specialists.

Gold Coast Health - For Clinicians
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