When to Refer
Conditions A–Z
62 conditions, each with what to look for, what to do and sources.
Adults
- Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) Urgent
- ANCA-associated vasculitis with organ threat Emergent
- Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) Urgent
- Asymptomatic hyperuricemia May not need referral
- Behçet's syndrome Urgent
- Calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) Semi-urgent
- Checkpoint inhibitor rheumatic adverse events (irAEs) Urgent
- Connective tissue disease with organ-threatening features Emergent
- Drug-induced rheumatic disease Semi-urgent
- Established RA: treatment change or review Routine
- Fibromyalgia May not need referral
- Giant cell arteritis (GCA) Emergent
- Gout: complex or refractory Semi-urgent
- Gout: new, uncomplicated Routine
- IgG4-related disease Semi-urgent
- Interstitial lung disease in autoimmune disease Urgent
- Joint hypermobility without complications May not need referral
- Macrophage activation syndrome / HLH (adult) Emergent
- Mechanical (non-inflammatory) back pain May not need referral
- Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) Urgent
- New inflammatory arthritis (suspected RA) Urgent
- Osteoarthritis May not need referral
- Osteoporosis: complex or refractory Routine
- Palpable purpura / small-vessel vasculitis (adult) Urgent
- Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) Urgent
- Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) Semi-urgent
- Positive ANA without symptoms May not need referral
- Positive anti-CCP or high-titer RF with joint pain, no swelling Routine
- Primary Raynaud's phenomenon May not need referral
- Psoriatic arthritis (suspected) Urgent
- Raynaud's phenomenon with secondary features Semi-urgent
- Reactive arthritis (persistent or recurrent) Semi-urgent
- Regional soft-tissue problems May not need referral
- Relapsing polychondritis Semi-urgent
- Sarcoidosis with rheumatologic features Semi-urgent
- Sjögren's disease with systemic features Urgent
- Sjögren's disease: sicca-predominant Routine
- Suspected axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) Semi-urgent
- Suspected inflammatory myopathy (myositis) Urgent
- Suspected systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) Urgent
- Suspected systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) Urgent
- Takayasu arteritis / large-vessel vasculitis Urgent
- Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) Routine
- VEXAS syndrome Semi-urgent
Children and adolescents
- Acute rheumatic fever Urgent
- Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO/CRMO) Semi-urgent
- IgA vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein purpura) Urgent
- JIA-associated uveitis Urgent
- Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) Urgent
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) Urgent
- Kawasaki disease Emergent
- Localized scleroderma (morphea) Semi-urgent
- Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) Emergent
- Neonatal lupus Urgent
- Pediatric (childhood-onset) SLE Urgent
- Pediatric sarcoidosis / Blau syndrome Semi-urgent
- Pediatric Sjögren's disease Semi-urgent
- Pediatric systemic sclerosis Urgent
- Pediatric vasculitis with organ threat Emergent
- Periodic fever / autoinflammatory syndromes Semi-urgent
- Reactive arthritis (pediatric) Semi-urgent
- Systemic JIA / macrophage activation syndrome Emergent