Giant Cell Arteritis/Temporal Arteritis
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Emergency
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.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Concerns for septic arthritis
- Complications of disease or therapy requiring emergent review – systemically unwell
Peripheral Spondyloarthritis - Psoriatic arthritis and Reactive arthritis
- Concerns for septic arthritis
- • Complications of disease or therapy requiring emergent review – systemically unwell
Axial Spondyloarthritis – Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Concerns for septic arthritis
- Complications of disease or therapy requiring emergent review – systemically unwell
Crystal Arthritis – Gout and CPPD (pseudogout)
- Concerns for septic arthritis
- Severe drug reaction to Allopurinol
Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- Complications of disease or therapy requiring emergent review – systemically unwell
Connective Tissue Disease - SLE, Scleroderma, MCTD, Sjogren's Syndrome and undifferentiated or overlap CTDs
- Complications of disease or therapy requiring emergent review – systemically unwell
Myositis - polymyositis, dermatomyositis, CTD associated myositis and undifferentiated inflammatory myositis
- Complications of disease or therapy requiring emergent review – systemically unwell
Vasculitis
- Complications of disease or therapy requiring emergent review – systemically unwell
Giant Cell Arteritis/Temporal Arteritis
- Presentation to ED if visual disturbance or loss
- Complications of disease or therapy requiring emergent review
*Discuss immediately by phone with local Rheumatology service if available (or General/Emergency physician if not) to facilitate access to temporal artery biopsy
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Other useful information for referring practitioners Not and exhaustive list
Minimum Referral Criteria
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Category 1
(appointment within 30 calendar days)- Suspected new onset and/or active Giant Cell Arteritis
*Discuss immediately by phone with local Rheumatology service if available (or General/Emergency physician if not) to facilitate access to temporal artery biopsy
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Category 2
(appointment within 90 calendar days)- Stable Giant Cell Arteritis on treatment
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Category 3
(appointment within 365 calendar days)- No defined category 3 criteria
Please insert the below information and minimum referral criteria into referral
1. Reason for request Indicate on the referral
2. Essential referral information Referral will be returned without this
- Relevant history:
- with age of onset of symptoms greater than 50 years,
- onset and time since onset of headaches, visual disturbance, jaw claudication, scalp tenderness
- Details of treatments offered, glucocorticoids initial dose, tapering and current dose and/or DMARDS (if available)
- FBC, E/LFT, ESR and CRP
3. Additional referral information Useful for processing the referral
- Temporal artery biopsy histology
- Bone mineral density (if available)
- Other screening previously performed including HepB, HepC, HIV, QuantiFERON Gold (QFG) (if available)
- PET CT, CXR or US (if available)
4. Request
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General referral information
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.)
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Notes
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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.
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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.
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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.
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