Paediatric surgery for the busy GP - Getting the referral right

Is a child who presents with a possible non-acute surgical complaint a welcome prospect? Unavoidable deliberations follow: normal versus abnormal, common versus exotic, routine versus urgent, investigate or not, and reassurance versus referral. Delayed or inadequately investigated referrals are uncommon in general paediatric surgery; rather, those that may be unnecessary, inappropriately ascribed as 'urgent' or over-investigated are more commonplace.

This article seeks to optimise a general practitioner's assessment of children with surgical presentations to ensure any resulting paediatric surgery referrals are necessary, timely and appropriately investigated.

Common, non-acute complaints presenting in childhood, including testicular maldescent, inguinal hernia and hydrocoele, non-retractile foreskin, and abdominal wall herniae, are discussed in this article. Each summary outlines the basis of the complaint, recommended pre-referral work-up and typical management of these paediatric surgery referrals. Online guidelines may be useful (eg www.rch.org.au/kidsconnect/prereferral_guidelines).