Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB)
Emergency department referrals
All urgent cases must be discussed with the on call Registrar to obtain appropriate prioritisation and treatment. Contact through:
- Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (07) 3646 8111
- The Prince Charles Hospital (07) 3139 4000
- Redcliffe Hospital (07) 3883 7777
- Caboolture Hospital (07) 5433 8888
Urgent cases accepted via phone must be accompanied with a written referral and a copy faxed immediately to the Central Patient Intake Unit: 1300 364 952.
Does your patient wish to be referred?
Minimum referral criteria
Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1
Appointment within 30 days is desirable
- Suspicion of malignancy (see other useful information)
- HMB with anaemia (Hb<85) or requiring transfusion
Category 2
Appointment within 90 days is desirable
- HMB with anaemia (Hb>85) In paediatric and adolescent patients the impact on quality of life with missing school, tiredness, anxiety and depression necessitates referral to SPAG services as category 2, and not category 3 if not responding to primary medical management. There is a significant risk of having an underlying bleeding disorder that needs to be excluded
Category 3
Appointment within 365 days is desirable
- HMB without anaemia not responding to medical management
If your patient does not meet the minimum referral criteria
Consider other treatment pathways or an alternative diagnosis.
If you still need to refer your patient:
- 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
Other important information for referring practitioners
Not an exhaustive list
- Refer to HealthPathways for assessment and management information if available
A woman with heavy menstrual bleeding is referred for early specialist review when there is a suspicion of malignancy or other significant pathology based on clinical assessment or ultrasound – Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Clinical Care Standard | Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Consider increased risk of hyperplasia or malignancy if:
- Endometrial thickness greater than 12mm (transvaginal USS ideally day 5 – 10)
- Irregular endometrium or focal lesion
- Weight >90kg
- PCOS / diabetes / unopposed oestrogen
- Age >45yrs
- Intermenstrual or post-coital bleeding
Medical treatment prior to or while waiting for specialist review if no suspicion of malignancy:
- Progesterone releasing IUD
- Tranexamic acid
- OCP
- NSAIDS
- Oral progestogens – start with oral progesterone in Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology (PAG) age group
Referral is also arranged for a woman who has not responded after six months of medical treatment.
Referral requirements
A referral may be rejected without the following information.
- Brief description of periods
- Medical management to date
- Most recent or Current cervical screening results if indicated (not a requirement for adolescents)
- FBC Serum ferritin results
- Pelvic USS (TVS preferable)
- Adolescent patient – Coag profile including von Willebrand’s disease (vWD), platelet function disorders screen, TFT, TA Scan in the first instance
Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)
- Body mass index (BMI)
- TSH if symptomatic of thyroid disease
- Previous management modalities, iron utilisation if deficient
Out of catchment
Metro North Health is responsible for providing public health services to the people who reside within its boundaries. Special consideration is made for patients requiring tertiary care or services that are not provided by their local Hospital and Health Service. If your patient lives outside the Metro North Health area and you wish to refer them to one of our services, inclusion of information regarding their particular medical and social factors will assist with the triaging of your referral.
- Impact on employment
- Impact on education
- Impact on home
- Impact on activities of daily living
- Impact on ability to care for others
- Impact on personal frailty or safety
- Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Current medications and dosages
- Drug allergies
- Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use
- Full name (including aliases)
- Date of birth
- Residential and postal address
- Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
- Medicare number (where eligible)
- Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
- Preferred language and interpreter requirements
- Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- Full name
- Full address
- Contact details – telephone, fax, email
- Provider number
- Date of referral
- Signature
- 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.)
Send referral
Hotline: 1300 364 938
Medical Objects ID: MQ40290004P
HealthLink EDI: qldmnhhs
Mail:
Metro North Central Patient Intake
Aspley Community Centre
776 Zillmere Road
ASPLEY QLD 4034
Health pathways
Access to Health Pathways is free for clinicians in Metro North Brisbane.
For login details email:
healthpathways@brisbanenorthphn.org.au
Login to Brisbane North Health Pathways:
brisbanenorth.healthpathwayscommunity.org