Connective Tissue Disorders

Emergency

• New thrombosis in SLE patient

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.

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

Information to be included in the referral

Possible diagnoses include SLE, Scleroderma, Myositis, Sjogren's Syndrome.

Rheumatology Clinics do not offer a diagnostic or management service for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

All referrals should comply to the referral standards and include in particular:

History

• Onset
• Pattern of symptoms e.g. proximal weakness
• Respiratory symptoms
• Arthralgia
• Rash or oedema
• Sicca symptoms
• Raynauds
• Pregnancy history
• History of thromboses
• Functional capacity
• Social history
• Smoking status
• Examination findings:
  • Blood pressure
  • Joint swelling/deformity
  • Functional capacity

Refer diagnosed Scleroderma to Scleroderma clinic

Tests

• FBE
• ESR, and CRP
• U&E, eGFr
• LFTs
• C3/C4
• ANA/ENA/ dsDNA binding
• CK (raised in myositis)
• Urinalysis/MSU and urinary ACR

Interim/GP management

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

Discussion with Rheumatologist may be of benefit in interim management if simple analgesia and local treatments are ineffective.

For more information please see the HealthPathways Tasmania website.

Patient information advice is found at Arthritis Australia

Clinic appointments

Urgent (Category 1)

• Acutely ill with systemic symptoms e.g. renal impairment, dyspnoea, rapidly progressive loss of mobility
• Acute thrombosis

Please discuss with registrar or consultant. We will endeavour to see these patients within four weeks.

Urgent referrals (e.g. temporal arteritis, septic arthritis) should be accompanied by a phone call to the Rheumatology Registrar or Consultant for urgent assessment, or patient should be directed to the Emergency Department.

Semi-urgent (Category 2)

• Significant symptoms and laboratory findings

Routine (Category 3)

• Borderline laboratory findings and minor symptoms

Next available appointment.

Availability

View all clinic availability