Neurosurgery

Conditions

Please note this is not an exhaustive list of all conditions for outpatient services and does not exclude consideration for referral unless specifically stipulated in the out of scope section.

Paediatric services

Referrals for children and young people should follow the Children’s Health Queensland referral guidelines.

If any of the following are present or suspected, refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary):

• Collapse/altered level of consciousness/new neurological deficit
• Suspected subarachnoid haemorrhage or other intracranial haemorrhage
• Headache with concerning features:
  • sudden onset/thunderclap headache
  • severe headache with signs of systemic illness (fever, neck stiffness, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness)
  • first severe headache age over 50 years
  • severe headache associated with recent head trauma
• Symptomatic benign or malignant space-occupying lesion
• Suspected or proven blocked or infected VP shunt
• Acute hydrocephalus
• Head injuries/trauma including extensive scalp laceration or suspected traumatic brain injury
• Trigeminal neuralgia – severe uncontrollable pain

Out of scope services

Not all services are funded in the Queensland public health system. The following are not routinely provided in a public Neurosurgery service.

• Fusion for back pain due to degenerative disease without correlating clinical symptoms or signs of neural compression
• Back and neck chronic pain – degenerative changes without acute neurology (please refer to Spinal CPC) (Chronic pain is defined as any pain lasting more than 6 months.)
• Non-specific headache without red flags or requiring surgical intervention
• Pathology of the sacrum: refer to orthopaedics

Clinic details

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
Level 7, Ned Hanlon Building

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