Useful Management Information

  • Splint and activity modification
  • Consider steroid injections as appropriate
  • Joint ROM exercises
  • Occupational therapy/physiotherapy to maintain mobility/ prevent stiffness and contracture/maintain extension/prevent/control pain/strengthening

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Severe/disabling symptoms of nerve compression and/or muscle weakness or wasting and NCS confirmation of diagnosis
  • Soft tissue tumour of the hand with suspicion of malignancy
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Frequent symptoms of nerve compression and any of the following:
    • rapid progression
    • recurrence after surgical decompression
    • failed maximal medical management
  • Major impacts on ADLs and/or employment
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • Secondary hand surgery after injury
  • Stenosing tenosynovitis and failed medical management
  • Rheumatoid hand deformity with impaired function or pain and failed maximal medical management
  • Symptomatic or enlarging ganglion of the hand

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

Essential Referral Information

  • History of handedness, occupation, significant hobbies and anticoagulant therapy
  • Smoking status
  • Medical management to date (include Allied health input and steroid injections)
  • Detailed clinical examination with sensory mapping and functional assessment (include impacts on ADL and employment)
  • Comprehensive neurovascular assessment
  • Details of functional impairment
  • XR for confirmed or suspected fracture or rheumatoid hand deformity
  • NCS (required for Cat 1 cases only)
  • Hand Ultrasound for stenosising tenosynovitis and soft tissue tumours of the hand

Additional Referral Information

  • Occupational therapy/physiotherapy report
  • Nerve conduction studies if referred for nerve compression syndromes or nerve palsies
Last updated 18 October 2021

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Enquiries

1300 559 083

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

Service Availability

Dr Raja Sawhney
Medical Director Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery

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.

Gold Coast Health - For Clinicians
© The State of Queensland 1995-2021 | Queensland Government
Queensland Government acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land and pays respect to Elders past, present and future.