title: Paediatric surgery for the busy GP - Getting the referral right.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  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.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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).
authors.forename: Warwick J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Teague
authors.forename: Sebastian K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013043:Specialties, Surgical; D013997:Time Factors