Not yet in use
Specialty: Children's medicine
Age group: Children
Direct to an emergency department
- Prolonged (longer than 5 minutes) or recurrent seizure (more than one in 24 hours)
- Seizure with post-ictal neurological, respiratory or haemodynamic compromise
- Seizure associated with recent trauma
- Suspected infantile spasms.
Criteria for referral to public hospital service
- Focal seizures
- New diagnosis of epilepsy (suspected or confirmed)
- Seizures associated with developmental regression or raised intracranial pressure
- Advice on, or review of, epilepsy management plan or the management of epilepsy with concurrent conditions for children on 2 or more medications or with poor seizure control
- Pregnancy with epilepsy.
Information to be included in the referral
Information that must be provided
- Reason for referral and expectation or outcome, anticipated by the patient, or their carer, and the referring clinician from referral to the health service
- Onset, characteristics and frequency of seizures
- If trauma related the date, mechanism and severity of trauma
- Findings on physical examination including neurological examination, head circumference and blood pressure measurements
- Developmental history and relevant medical history
- Relevant family history
- Details of previous management including the course of treatment(s) and outcome of treatment(s).
- Current and complete medication history (including non-prescription medicines, herbs and supplements)
- Smoking history (cigarettes and all forms of tobacco, nicotine, vaping and cannabis)
- History of any other inhalant use, including if the patient is still using
- If the patient is pregnant.
Provide if available
- Witness reports, teacher reports or video (with patient’s consent and where secure image transfer, identification and storage is possible). These often assist with identifying clinical urgency and the most appropriate specialist clinic or service
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) results
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) tracings
- Neuroimaging results
- Recent therapeutic medication levels
- Previous assessments or opinions
- If the child identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- If the child is neurodiverse
- If the child is gender diverse
- If the child has a disability
- If the child has a preferred language other than English and if they rely on cultural or linguistic support (e.g. Aboriginal cultural support, an interpreter)
- If the child lives in out-of-home care (foster care, kinship care, permanent care or residential care)
- If the child is a refugee, seeking asylum or has a bridging visa while waiting for an immigration outcome
- If the child is aged 14-18 years, do they consent that their health information is shared with their parent, guardian or carer.
Additional comments
The Minimum information for referrals to non-admitted specialist services lists the information that should be included in a referral request.
Patients or their parents should be encouraged to keep a seizure diary and video events as these are useful to bring to the appointment.
Referral to an adult neurology or obstetric service may be appropriate for pregnant patients with epilepsy. Referring clinicians should contact the health service to discuss the available options.
The referral should include if this is a request for a second opinion.
Where appropriate and available the referral may be directed to an alternative specialist clinic or service.
Referral to a public hospital is not appropriate for
- Single or recurrent typical febrile seizures.
Updated