Lymphadenopathy for investigation
Adult

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Emergency Referrals

Useful Management Information

Refer to local HealthPathways or local guidelines
Haematology department accepts referrals of patients with clinically abnormal lymph nodes without a biopsy
For clinically stable small - volume lymph nodes and in a well patient with normal blood work suggest:
clinical monitoring and consider a FNA or core biopsy if technically feasible.
for isolated neck lymphadenopathy, fine needle aspiration is usually the first investigation to exclude head and neck squamous cell cancer. Excisional biopsy of isolated neck lymph nodes should only be undertaken once squamous cell cancer has been excluded
Optimal cancer care pathway for people with Hodgkin and diffuse B-cell lymphomas
Quick reference guide

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?

Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)	Abnormal lymph node (LN) detected clinically or via imaging – and not biopsied (or inconclusive biopsy). If ANY of the following are present the patient should ideally be seen within 2 weeks: symptomatic lymphadenopathy raised LDH bulky disease (>3cm diameter of LN mass) presence of fever, night sweats, weight loss or new onset pruritus concurrent recent onset cytopenias (e.g. anaemia, thrombocytopenia) extranodal masses clinical history of rapid growth If ALL, the following are present an appointment within 4 - 6 weeks is acceptable: Asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic lymphadenopathy Normal FBC and stable creatinine and liver function Clinical history of slow growth Non bulky disease Clinically well (absence of the following - fever, night sweats, weight loss or pruritus)
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)	Some patients who are clinically well with stable minor enlargement of LN and normal blood counts may be triaged as a cat 2
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)	No category 3 criteria
If your patient does not meet the minimum referral criteria Assessment and management information may be found on a range of conditions at HealthPathways 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

Standard Referral Information

Reason for request

To establish a diagnosis
For treatment or intervention
For advice and management
For specialist to take over management
Reassurance for GP/second opinion
For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
Reassurance for the patient/family
For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

Relevant clinical information about the condition

Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
Physical findings
Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
All conservative options that have been pursued unsuccessfully prior to referral
Body mass index (BMI)
Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
Any special care requirements where relevant (e.g tracheostomy in place, oxygen required)
Current medications and dosages
Drug allergies
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

Patient's Demographic Details

Full name (including aliases)
Date and country of birth
Residential and postal address including whether patient resides at an aged care facility
Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
Medicare number (where eligible)
Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
Name of delegate and contact details (Department of Corrective Services)
Preferred language and interpreter requirements
Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Any special needs, access requirements and/or disability relevant to the referral

Referring Practitioner Details

Full name
Full address
Contact details – telephone, fax, email
Provider number
Date of referral
Signature
Nominated general practitioner’s details (if known), if the nominated general practitioner is different from the referring practitioner

Other relevant information

Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)

Essential Referral Information

Detailed history of present signs and symptoms
Past medical history/pertinent social history
Current medications and allergies
FBC ELFTs LDH CMP results
Radiology report

Additional Referral Information

No additional referral information

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Haematology (E-Blueslips)

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Cancer Referrals Centre
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

(07) 5687 2708

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

HealthPathways home page

Service Availability

Dr Rachel Wooldridge

Medical Director Haematology

Facilities

Gold Coast University 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.

Lymphadenopathy for investigationAdult