Specialty: Vascular
Age group: Adult
Direct to an emergency department for:
- Transient ischaemic attack(s) in last 48 hours
- Multiple or recurrent transient ischaemic attack episodes in the last seven days
- Amaurosis fugax in last 48 hours.
Immediately contact the vascular registrar to arrange an urgent vascular assessment for:
- Symptomatic internal carotid stenosis (greater than 50 per cent on imaging), within two weeks of symptoms.
Criteria for referral to public hospital specialist clinic services
- Internal carotid stenosis (greater than 50 per cent) on imaging with symptoms (excluding dizziness alone), more than two weeks after onset of symptoms
- Asymptomatic internal carotid stenosis greater than 70 per cent on imaging
- Carotid body tumour.
Information to be included in the referral
Information that must be provided:
- Symptoms
- Timing of symptoms
- Current and previous imaging results.
Provide if available:
Not applicable.
Additional comments
The Summary and referral information lists the information that should be included in a referral request.
Where appropriate and available, the referral may be directed to an alternative specialist clinic or service.
Referral to a public hospital is not appropriate for
- Asymptomatic internal carotid stenosis less than 70 per cent on imaging
- Isolated external carotid artery stenosis.
Reviewed 26 May 2025