Soft Tissue (Plastics) Clinic (CUH) Referral Criteria

Appropriate referrals

Facial Trauma

  • Complex wounds with skin loss
  • Possible involvement of facial nerve or parotid duct
  • Significant wounds involving the eyelid only
    • (if associated with globe injury, refer to Ophthalmology)
  • Significant wounds involving the vermilion border of lip
  • Associated bony injury

Upper limb Trauma

  • Complex wound with skin loss
  • Associated nerve or tendon injury
  • Cases requiring possible revascularisation / re-plantation
  • Complex fingertip injuries e.g. bone exposed
  • High-pressure injections injuries. NB Need Immediate Referral

Lower limb trauma

  • Complex wounds involving skin loss
  • Possible associated major nerve injuries i.e. not digital nerve injuries (except for big toe)
  • Cases requiring possible re-plantation

Burn trauma

  • Cf. separate Burn Protocol

Cellulitis / abscess formation

  • Of the face / upper limb

Foreign Bodies

  • Of the face / upper limb / lower limb (which are not readily palpable)

Inappropriate referrals

Facial trauma

  • Simple skin wounds not involving eyelid or vermilion border of lip
  • Eyelid wounds – with associated globe injury (refer to Ophthalmology)
  • Scalp wounds not involving loss of tissue

Neck trauma

  • All penetrating neck wounds
  • Simple superficial skin wounds

Upper limb trauma

  • Simple superficial skin wounds
  • Simple fingertip injuries
  • Closed fractures of the hand
  • Possible compartment syndrome – in association with bony injury

Lower limb trauma

  • Simple superficial skin wounds
  • Digital nerve injury to the toe(s) (except for the big toe)
  • Possible compartment syndrome – in association with bony injury

Chest / abdominal trauma

Perineal trauma

Foreign bodies

  • All palpable foreign bodies
  • Foreign bodies of the chest / abdomen / perineum

Cellulitis abscess formation

  • Of the chest / abdomen / perineum / lower limb

Patients will NOT be seen without a completed referral form +/- criteria form.