Epistaxis
Clarify laterality, duration, severity, hemodynamics, Hgb trend if relevant, anticoagulation/antiplatelets, and response to local first measures.
ENT consult triage
Should I Consult Otolaryngology?
A concise triage aid for airway symptoms, deep neck infection, epistaxis, PTA, foreign bodies, hearing loss, trauma, and trach questions.
Common ENT questions
Start With the Clinical Question
Before you consult
Make the ENT Question Answerable
PTA/deep neck infection
Document airway, voice, drooling, trismus, neck mobility, toxicity, PO tolerance, exam, CT status, and whether drainage or airway pathway is the question.
Airway or trach concern
Include oxygenation/ventilation, trach type/size/timing if relevant, secretions/bleeding, obstruction/dislodgement concern, and local airway pathway activation.
Foreign body
Clarify location, object, timing, symptoms, imaging/endoscopy status, removal attempts, aspiration/ingestion concern, and airway/esophageal risk.
Use this when the question involves airway safety, deep neck infection, bleeding control, PTA/deep infection, foreign body, hearing loss, facial trauma, or tracheostomy/device concerns.
Common low-yield consults
Usually Better as First-Step Workup or Local Pathway First
- Mild epistaxis before standard local first measures and risk assessment are attempted.
- Sore throat without abscess, airway, dehydration, deep-neck, toxicity, or procedural question.
- Uncomplicated otitis or sinus symptoms without complication concern.
- Cerumen or chronic hearing symptoms without sudden sensorineural hearing-loss concern or neurologic features.
Copyable consult message
ENT Consult Dotphrase
Reason for Consult: *** Airway status: *** Voice / drooling / trismus / neck mobility: *** Bleeding laterality and measures tried if epistaxis: *** Anticoagulation / bleeding risk: *** CT or imaging findings if infection/trauma: *** Hearing symptoms timing and laterality: *** Foreign body type/location and attempts: *** Other services or local pathway active: *** Clinical question: airway, drainage, bleeding, trauma, hearing, foreign body, disposition *** Callback: *** Thank you!
Best practices for ENT consults
- Lead with airway status and whether local airway/anesthesia/ICU pathways are active.
- For epistaxis, include side, duration, measures attempted, anticoagulation, hemodynamics, and posterior bleed concern.
- For throat/neck infection, include voice, drooling, trismus, neck mobility, PO tolerance, CT status, and drainage question.
- For foreign body, include location, object type, duration, symptoms, attempts, and imaging/endoscopy status if relevant.
ENT consult patterns
High-Yield ENT Context
Airway symptoms
Stridor, drooling, voice change, rapidly expanding neck swelling, or trach obstruction/dislodgement belongs in a local airway pathway with ENT as needed.
Deep neck infection
Trismus, toxicity, neck stiffness, drooling, voice change, CT concern, or airway findings makes discussion higher yield.
Epistaxis
Persistent bleeding after local measures, posterior bleed concern, hemodynamic concern, or anticoagulation complexity may change ENT strategy.
Hearing loss
Sudden hearing loss needs urgent local audiology/ENT routing clarity and neuro pathway consideration when symptoms suggest it.
ENT consults FAQ
Common ENT Questions
What makes a ENT consult higher yield?
The most useful request identifies the specialty-specific decision, the local pathway already active, and the workup or first step already completed.
What should I avoid?
Avoid sending only a diagnosis label, lab result, or procedure name. Frame the decision ENT can change.
References
Educational tool only. SIC provides clinician-facing educational consult-triage references. SIC does not diagnose, treat, prevent, cure, or mitigate disease and is not a substitute for clinical judgment, local guidelines, institutional referral pathways, or recommendations from your ENT department. See disclaimer and how SIC works.