Specialty: ENT
Age group: Adult
Direct to an appropriate emergency department for:
- Abscess or haematoma (e.g. peritonsillar abscess or quinsy)
- Acute tonsillitis with:
- difficulty in breathing
- unable to tolerate oral intake
- uncontrolled fever
- Post-operative tonsillar haemorrhage
Criteria for referral to public hospital specialist clinic services
- Chronic or recurrent infection with fever or malaise and decreased oral intake and any of the following:
- four or more episodes in the last 12 months
- six or more episodes in the last 24 months
- tonsillar concretions with halitosis
- absent from work or studies for four or more weeks in a year
- Suspicious unilateral tonsillar solid mass with or without ear pain
Information to be included in the referral
Information that must be provided:
- History of tonsillitis episodes and response to treatment
- If the patient is taking anticoagulant, or any other medicine that may reduce coagulation, or if there is a family history of coagulation disorder
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
- If the patient is not willing to have surgical treatment
- Halitosis without other symptoms.
Reviewed 27 May 2025