Obstructive sleep apnoea (ENT)
Obstructive sleep apnoea (ENT)
Emergency and immediate referrals
Referral to Emergency Department
If any of the following are present or suspected, please refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or seek emergency medical advice if in a remote region:
Immediately contact on-call registrar or service to arrange an immediate ENT assessment (seen within 7 days) for:
To contact relevant service, please see HealthPathways: Acute ENT Assessment
| Presenting issues |
|
Obstructive sleep apnoea with:
- Nasal obstruction
- Macroglossia
|
| Mandatory referral information (referral will be returned if this information is not included) |
|
History
- Details of previous treatment and outcome i.e. failed CPAP
Examination
Investigations
- Sleep study report
- Recent polysomnography (PSG) results
If unable to attach reports, please include relevant information/findings in the body of the referral
Referrer to state reason if not able to include mandatory information in referral (e.g. patient unable to access test due to geographical location or financial cost)
|
| Highly desirable referral information |
- Epworth Sleepiness Scale results
|
Indicative triage category
| Indicative triage category |
Category 1
Appointment within 30 days |
- No defined category 1 criteria
|
Category 2
Appointment within 90 days |
- No defined category 2 criteria
|
Category 3
Appointment within 365 days |
- Upper airway obstruction due to tonsillar hypertrophy
- Moderate to severe symptoms (e.g. Epworth Sleepiness Scale > 15) and a positive sleep study
- Failure of CPAP therapy due to patient anatomical factors e.g. nasal obstruction/deviated septum, tongue size/upper airway anatomy, mandibular anatomy
|
Last reviewed: 02-10-2023