https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/wards-and-departments/departments/clinical-specialties/neurosurgery-information-parents-and-visitors/getting-referred/neurosurgery-admission-criteria/
Neurosurgery admission criteria
This is a list of patient diagnoses which are admitted to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) by our Neurosurgery team, the timeframe in which they should be treated and their estimated length of stay (LoS).
Health professionals are reminded that this information is for guidance only.
Emergency admissions
Children with the following diagnoses are considered an emergency and should be transferred to GOSH within hours from receipt of referral.
| Diagnosis | Estimated LoS |
|---|---|
| Blocked shunt | 2 days |
| Cerebral abscess | 10-21 days |
| Cerebral haemorrhage (admitted direct to Koala) | 10 days |
| Cerebral haemorrhage (admitted from PICU) | 2-10 days |
| Head trauma (admitted direct to Koala) | 3-5 days |
| Head trauma (admitted from PICU) | 2-10 days |
| Infected shunt | 10-14 days |
| Known patients with post-operative complications | 1-5 days |
| Spinal compression (eg oncology) | 3-5 days |
| Tumour with decreasing Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) | 5-10 days |
Urgent admissions
Children with the following diagnoses should be transferred to GOSH within days from receipt of referral.
| Diagnosis | Estimated LoS |
|---|---|
| Acute hydrocephalus | 3-5 days |
| Open spina bifida | 10 days |
| Other tumour | 5-10 days |
Elective admissions
Children with the following diagnoses should be referred to GOSH via the non-emergency pathway.
| Diagnosis | Estimated LoS |
|---|---|
| Craniofacial - post-operative | 1-2 days |
| ECIC (Extracranial-intracranial) bypass | 1-3 days |
| Epilepsy surgery - post-operative | 3-10 days |
| Non-accidental injury - post PICU | 0-5 days |
| Other (eg dermoid cysts, arachnoid, etc) | 1-3 days |
| Spinal surgery - cervical spine | 5-10 days |
| Spinal surgery - other spine (lipoma, etc) | 2-7 days |
Unlikely to admit
- Deep brain stimulation
- Spasticity and Baclofen Pumps
- Spinal trauma