Asthma/Respiratory (Paediatric)

This condition is treated in the Paediatrics clinic.

Pre-referral work-up

History

This clinic is for difficult to control asthma or complex or recurrent respiratory conditions in children to 18 years of age.

All referrals should comply with referral standards and must include:

• Current assessment of asthma control: good, partial, poor
• Current medications
• Frequency of oral steroid use in the previous 3 months
• Note if the child has been hospitalized or not, and how often
• Report presence or absence of concerning features
  • Paediatric ICU admission
  • History of chronic lung disease
  • Extreme prematurity

Tests

• Peak functional severity assessment
• Copies of any CXRs

Interim/GP management

To refer a patient with this condition, please see the Paediatrics clinic page for the full referral process and templates.

Highly desirable information - may change triage category

• Note symptom frequency over the last 3 months:
  • every day
  • episodes of wheeze every week but not every day
  • episodes every month but not every week
  • episodes less than once per month
• Height/weight/head circumference and growth charts with prior measurements if available.
• Presence or absence of sleep, feeding or exercise related symptoms.
• Copy of asthma management plan, if applicable

Desirable information- will assist at consultation

• Assessment of adherence to medication
• History of allergic/atopic disease (and family history of same)
• Other past medical history
• Immunisation history
• Developmental history
• Medication history
• Significant psychosocial risk factors (especially parents mental health, family violence, housing and financial stress, department of child safety involvement)
• Other physical examination findings inclusive of CNS, birth marks or dysmorphology
• Any relevant laboratory results or medical imaging reports, urinalysis result
• Spirometry Reports, if available in children able to perform test (children over 8)

For more information please see the HealthPathways Tasmania website.

Asthma Australia

Asthma Foundation of Tasmania

Australian Asthma Handbook

National Asthma Council Australia

Clinic appointments

? Red location flags are clinical indicators of possible serious underlying conditions requiring further medical intervention. They may or may not indicate an emergency.

Emergency

? Severe uncontrolled asthma

If you, or someone else, are experiencing a serious and life-threatening injury or illness call triple zero (000) immediately or go to the nearest Emergency Department.

Learn more about when to access emergency care and non-emergency care options if the injury or illness is not serious or life-threatening.

Urgent (Category 1)

? Recurrent attacks requiring hospitalisation or steroids

We will endeavour to see these patients within 1 month.

Urgent referrals should be accompanied by a phone call to the Consultant/Registrar to organise urgent review.

For any urgent sexual abuse/assault concerns please phone RHH switchboard and ask Paediatric Sexual Assault Consultant or Registrar on call for advice.

Semi-urgent (Category 2)

Availability

North

Launceston General Hospital
Level 3 (Western end of Charles Street Corridor)
Paediatric and Adolescent Outpatient Clinics

Phone: 1300 977 694 (select option 3)
Fax: 03 6777 5242

North West

North West Regional Hospital
Phone: 03 6493 6300
Fax: 03 6464 1928

Mersey Community Hospital
Phone: 1800 636 455 
Fax: 03 6441 5928

South

Royal Hobart Hospital
Level 3, D Block (North) - Paediatric Clinics

Phone: 03 6166 0000
Fax: 03 6173 0469

Outreach Clinics are offered at various locations, but referrals should be sent to the Paediatric Clinic.