Aortic Aneurysm
Emergency department referrals
All urgent cases must be discussed with the on call Vascular Registrar. Contact through Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (07) 3646 8111 to obtain appropriate prioritisation and treatment.
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.
If any of the following are present or suspected, refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.
- Acute aortic dissection
- Ruptured AAA
- Symptomatic AAA (abdominal/back pain/tenderness, compressive symptoms, distal embolisation)
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
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm >5.0cm AP or transverse diameter measurement (increasing size, tenderness).
- Thoracic aneurysm >5.0cm AP or transverse diameter measure (increasing size, tenderness)
- Rapid AAA expansion (>1.0cm / year)
Category 2
Appointment within 90 days is desirable
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm 4.0-5.0cm – AP or transverse diameter measure
- Thoracic aneurysm 4.0-5.0cm – AP or transverse diameter measure
Category 3
Appointment within 365 days is desirable
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm <4.0cm – AP or transverse diameter measure
- Thoracic aneurysm <4.0cm – AP or transverse diameter measure
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
- Advance health directive (where available)
- Please note length of aneurysm is irrelevant
- Atherosclerosis risk factor management (antihypertensive, diabetes, dyslipidaemia)
- It is strongly recommended that people who smoke stop before surgery as it increases the complications of surgery and is associated with delayed skin healing.
- Please consider directing your patient to a smoking cessation program.
- Where serial/follow-up >3.5cm-5cm, 6-monthly surveillance USS is performed.
- Where serial/follow-up <3.5cm, 12-monthly surveillance USS is performed.
- Any increase of 1cm or more within a 12-month period is an indicator for early referral.
- Driving should cease if AAA is >5.0cm or the patient is considered at risk of dissection or rupture – Ausroads Assessing fitness to drive
Referral requirements
A referral may be rejected without the following information.
- Genetic factors and collagen disorder
- Significant co-morbidities
- Cardiovascular assessment
- Current aneurysm size, AP or transverse diameter measure last 6 months (if known)
- Vascular risk factors
- U&E FBC & coags results, BSL Lipid profile
- Abdominal USS
Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)
- Fine slice CT (if available)
- CXR report
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