Tuberculosis

ADULT
  • If any of the following are present or suspected, please refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or follow local emergency care protocols or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.

    • Suspected tuberculosis with significant haemoptysis (defined as repeated expectoration of 5mL (1tsp) of blood or single episode of >20mL (1tbsp)
    • Refer to HealthPathways or local guidelines.
    • Where TB is considered highly likely, the case should be discussed with the regional tuberculosis centre (Metro South Clinical TB Service in Southeast Queensland) without awaiting sputum culture results.
    • Where TB is considered unlikely it is appropriate to perform diagnostic tests before considering referral including sputum mycobacterial cultures and radiology tests (chest X-ray or HRCT scan of the chest).
    • Contact details for your local tuberculosis service can be found on the Queensland Health website: Contact a tuberculosis service webpage.
Minimum Referral Criteria
Category 1
(appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Suspected or proven pulmonary or extrapulmonary tuberculosis
Category 2
(appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Suspected latent tuberculosis
Category 3
(appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • No Category 3 criteria

Please insert the below information and minimum referral criteria into referral

1. Reason for request Indicate on the referral

  • To establish a diagnosis
  • For treatment or intervention not otherwise accessible to the patient
  • For advice regarding management
  • To engage in an ongoing shared care approach between primary and secondary care
  • Reassurance for GP/second opinion
  • Reassurance for the patient/family
  • For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)

2. Essential referral information Referral will be returned without this

  • Duration and severity of symptoms including dyspnoea, cough, chest pain, weight loss, night sweats, systemic symptoms
  • History of previous TB and chronic lung disease
  • Travel history / immigrant status
  • Known contact with tuberculosis
  • History of HIV/AIDS or other immunosuppression
  • CXR
  • FBC, ELFT and ESR results
  • Sputum culture results (Please see other useful information)

3. Additional referral information Useful for processing the referral

  • BCG vaccination status
  • Mantoux or interferon gamma release assay result (e.g. QuantiFERON), if available, for diagnosis of latent TB.

4. Request

  • Patient's Demographic Details

    • 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

    Referring Practitioner Details

    • Full name
    • Full address
    • Contact details – telephone, fax, email
    • Provider number
    • Date of referral
    • Signature

    Relevant clinical information about the condition

    • 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

    Reason for request

    • 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

    Clinical modifiers

    • 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

    Other relevant information

    • 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.)
  • If any of the following are present or suspected, please refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or follow local emergency care protocols or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.

    • Please note that where appropriate and where available, the referral may be streamed to an associated public allied health and/or nursing service.  Access to some specific services may include initial assessment and management by associated public allied health and/or nursing, which may either facilitate or negate the need to see the public medical specialist.

    • A change in patient circumstance (such as condition deteriorating, or becoming pregnant) may affect the urgency categorisation and should be communicated as soon as possible.

    • Please indicate in the referral if the patient is unable to access mandatory tests or investigations as they incur a cost or are unavailable locally.

Last updated: 3 December 2024

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