Useful Management Information

  • Patients with acute barotrauma should be sent to emergency
  • If cerumen present, use dissolving drops and irrigation or suction if available
  • Arrange diagnostic audiological assessment/tinnitus assessment
  • Patient education/tinnitus management advice
  • Consider private MRI to exclude acoustic neuroma in unilateral tinnitus
  • Chronic tinnitus should not be referred to ENT unless associated with vertigo, hearing loss, otalgia, otorrhoea and balance disturbance
  • Chronic tinnitus - as above, and:
    • private audiology for masking hearing aid
    • consider cognitive behavioural therapy
    • private audiology for hearing aid if hearing loss present
    • public/private audiology for patient education/tinnitus management advice

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Sudden onset or chronic unilateral tinnitus and any of the following:
    • vertigo
    • hearing loss
    • otalgia
    • otorrhoea
  • Sudden onset or chronic unilateral or bilateral pulsatile tinnitus or disabling tinnitus and any of the following:
    • vertigo
    • hearing loss
    • balance disturbance
  • Follow up of recent barotrauma event (air flight, diving or blast injury)
  • At the recommendation of local audiologist (highlighting the clinical concerns along with previous audiological report/results)
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Unilateral pulsatile tinnitus
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • No category 3 criteria


NB Referral is not indicated unless tinnitus is disabling or associated with hearing loss, aural fullness and/or discharge or vertigo

Essential Referral Information

  • Description of:
    • onset, duration frequency and quality
    • functional impact of tinnitus
    • any associated hearing/balance symptoms
    • any intervention and its effect
    • past history of middle ear disease/surgery
  • Diagnostic audiology assessment (Highly desirable where available and not cause significant delay)

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

  • Private MRI to exclude acoustic neuroma in unilateral tinnitus
  • Mechanism of injury (barotrauma)
Last updated 7 February 2024

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

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 Jim Hallam

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
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