Facial Nerve Palsy
Emergency referrals
All urgent cases must be discussed with the on call ENT Registrar. Contact through Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (07) 3646 8111 to obtain appropriate prioritisation and treatment.
Urgent cases accepted via phone must be accompanied with a written referral and a copy faxed immediately to the Central Patient Intake Unit: 1300 364 952.
Does your patient wish to be referred?
Minimum referral criteria
Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1
Appointment within 30 days is desirable
- Lower motor neuron palsy and any of the following:
- hearing loss
- suspected other cranial nerve involvement
- Lower motor neuron palsy and otalgia and/or otorrhoea
- Vesicles in tympanic membrane and otalgia and/or otorrhoea
- Perineural spread from cutaneous SCC with or without sensory changes e.g. tingling, numbness, formiculation
Category 2
Appointment within 90 days is desirable
- No category 2 criteria
Category 3
Appointment within 365 days is desirable
- No category 3 criteria
If your patient does not meet the minimum referral criteria
Consider other treatment pathways or an alternative diagnosis.
If you still need to refer your patient:
- Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.)
- Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service
Other important information for referring practitioners
Not an exhaustive list
- Oral steroids 1mg daily for 5 days
- Consider oral anti virals if indicative of Ramsay Hunt syndrome
- Eye protection from corneal abrasion e.g. lacrilube and tape eye shut nocte
- Consider speech pathology assessment if speech and/or swallowing affected
- Arrange diagnostic audiological assessment
- If facial palsy with otalgia and/or otorrhoea, consider fine cut/slice CT scan of temporal bone to rule out cholesteatoma
Referral requirements
A referral may be rejected without the following information.
Send referral
Hotline: 1300 364 938
Fax: 1300 364 952
Electronic: eReferral system
Mail: Metro North Central Patient Intake
Aspley Community Centre
776 Zillmere Road
ASPLEY QLD 4034
Health pathways
Access to Health Pathways is free for clinicians in Metro North Brisbane.
For login details email:
healthpathways
Login to Brisbane North Health Pathways:
brisbanenorth.