Abdominal Pain, Discomfort or Bloating

The Department will periodically contact patients waiting for an outpatient clinic appointment via SMS, with a link to an electronic form.  This is part of routine waitlist auditing to ensure patient details are up to date.  If you receive this SMS, please update your details.

Availability

North South North West Statewide

Pre-referral work-up

History

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

Patient and family history of gastrointestinal cancer including relationship to patient, age of cancer diagnosis and type of cancer

Previous endoscopic procedures (date, report and histology)

Tests

Pathology:

LFT

FBC

U&E

Iron studies (if indicated / performed)

Imaging:

Any relevant

Investigations:

Nil

Interim/GP management

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

Refer to the recommended pre-referral treatment for reflux/heartburn/dyspepsia.

For more information please see the Tasmanian Health Pathways website.

Emergency

Potentially life threatening symptoms suggestive of:

  • acute upper GI tract bleeding
  • acute severe lower GI tract bleeding
  • oesophageal foreign bodies/food bolus
  • bowel obstruction
  • abdominal sepsis
  • Acute Severe Colitis - see note

Severe vomiting and/or diarrhoea with dehydration
Acute/fulminant liver failure (to be referred to a centre with dedicated hepatology services
Biliary sepsis (to be referred to a centre with ERCP service)

Note - Acute severe colitis as defined by the Truelove and Witts criteria – all patients with ≥ 6 bloody bowel motions per 24 hours plus at least one of the following:

  • temperature at presentation of > 37.8°C,
  • pulse rate at presentation of > 90 bpm,
  • haemoglobin at presentation of < 105 gm/l, CRP >30mg/dl at presentation (or ESR > 30 mm/hr)

Urgent / category 1

Severe abdominal pain with significant impacts on activities of daily living or with any of the following concerning features (also select those applicable):

  • weight loss ≥5% of body weight in previous 6 months
  • past history Barrett's/polyps/cancer
  • Family history of Barrett's, oesophageal or gastric or bowel cancer
  • iron deficiency in males and postmenopausal women or unexplained iron deficiency in premenopausal women
  • abdominal mass on clinical examination or abnormal imaging
  • nocturnal symptoms

Semi-urgent / category 2

Abdominal pain for >6 weeks without concerning features (see above) and not affecting activities of daily living

Routine / category 3

For all other presentations of abdominal pain

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

GESA Guideline:Gastro- Oesophageal Reflux Disease (2011)

Emergency:

Proceed to Emergency Department (ED).
LGH ED Reception  – Phone: (03) 6777 6405  Fax: (03) 6777 5201
MCH ED* – Phone: (03) 6478 5120  Fax: (03) 6441 5923
NWRH ED* – Phone: (03) 6493 6351 Fax: (03) 6464 1926
RHH ED Reception – Phone: (03) 6166 6100  Fax: (03) 6173 0489

Advice for medical practitioners can be given by the Medical Officer In Charge (MOIC) - see HealthPathways Tasmania for contact information.
*MCH and NWRH MOICs request GPs call them prior to referring a patient to ensure the patient is being sent appropriately to a safe destination.

Urgent:

We will endeavour to see these patients within four weeks

Urgent referrals should be accompanied by a phone call to the clinic and the relevant doctor for urgent assessment, or patient should be directed immediately to the Emergency Department.

Semi-urgent:

We will endeavour to see these patients within 12 weeks

Routine:

Next available appointment