Useful Management Information
- If you have a reason to suspect a child in Queensland is experiencing harm, or is at risk of experiencing harm, you need to contact Child Safety Services
- Sudden onset incontinence who have previously been dry can be a marker of serious pathologies (e.g. DM, GU tumours, spinal cord problems) and should be assessed urgently
- In the majority of cases it is thought inappropriate for children to wait more than 6 months for an outpatient initial appointment
Minimum Referral Criteria
Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days) |
|
---|---|
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days) |
Refer to general paediatrics if there are no structural abnormalities Refer to paediatric urology or paediatric surgery if concerned with renal or structural abnormalities |
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days) |
Refer to general paediatrics if there are no structural abnormalities. |
If your patient does not meet the minimum referral criteria
|
Essential Referral Information
- Is there daytime incontinence of urine?
- Is there nocturnal enuresis?
- Report presence or absence of concerning features
- poor urinary stream in a boy
- Physical examination, including abdominal examination, spine and lower limbs
- Urinalysis (dipstick)
- Fingerpick blood glucose if recent onset of symptoms
Additional Referral Information
Highly desirable information – may change triage category
- What is the impact on the child? (teasing or social exclusion at school, family conflict over wetting, anxiety or distress about incontinence)
- Description of the pattern incontinence:
- is there daytime incontinence? How frequent is the incontinence? Is the incontinence new?
- primary or secondary (>6 months dryness previously)
- What treatments have been tried and efficacy
Desirable information - will assist at consultation
- Family history of nocturnal enuresis or daytime urinary symptoms
- Diet history
- Bowel habit history or history of constipation
- Treatments used for constipation if present
- Developmental history
- Other past medical history
- Immunisation history
- Medication history
- Significant psychosocial risk factors (especially parents mental health, family violence, housing and financial stress, department of child safety involvement)
- Height/weight/head circumference and growth charts with prior measurements if available
- Other physical examination findings inclusive of CNS, birth marks or dysmorphology
- Any relevant laboratory results or medical imaging reports, urinalysis results
- Consider renal tract USS with pre and post void volumes if there is daytime incontinence. Not required for isolated nocturnal enuresis.
Send Referrals To
Smart Referrals
Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals
Secure Web Transfer
Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District
Internal Referrals
Paediatric Medicine (E-Blueslips)
Fax
Post
Paediatric Referral Centre
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215
Enquiries
Service Availability
Facilities
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.
Child Safety
If you have a reason to suspect a child in Queensland is experiencing harm, or is at risk of experiencing harm, contact Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Services . Please consider if mandatory reporting applies.