For patients with suspected IBD

If you are a primary care provider and wish to refer a child or adolescent with suspected IBD, contact the Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic at (615) 322-7449 to schedule a consultation. Please indicate that IBD is suspected.

Records may be faxed to (615) 936-8128. Please instruct the patient to bring the following items to the consultation:

Growth charts
Recent complete blood count, serum albumin, and sedimentation rate or c-reactive protein
Recent stool culture, c. difficile antigen, and ova and parasites
Reports and digital images. Although we don't recommend routine imaging studies for every patient prior to consultation, if an imaging study has been obtained, it is helpful to have these items.

If you believe your patient should be seen urgently, please ask to speak to the physician-on-call. If required, we can facilitate an urgent consultation.

For patients with established IBD

We welcome referrals of children and adolescents with established IBD from both pediatric and adult gastroenterologists.

Evaluations of patients with established diagnoses of IBD can serve one of several purposes:

Single consultation for second opinion
Consultation for refractory IBD with continuing care provided by the referring gastroenterologist
Consultation for refractory IBD with continuing care provided at Children's
Inpatient hospital-to-hospital transfer for severe refractory IBD

Your patient will receive a complete evaluation in our multidisciplinary IBD Consultation Clinic by a pediatric gastroenterologist with clinical expertise in IBD, an IBD nurse educator, a nutritionist, and social worker.

To refer a patient with established IBD, call (615) 322-7449 and ask to speak with Kim Knight to schedule a "second-opinion inflammatory bowel disease consultation."

If you are caring for a hospitalized patient with refractory IBD and need to arrange a hospital-to-hospital transfer, call the Children's Access Center at (615) 936-4444 or 866-936-7811 (toll-free).

Because these patients are complex and have often undergone an extensive work-up, it is helpful to have the following items at the consultation:

Summary letter or clinic notes detailing prior treatments and the patient's response to each treatment
Results of recent blood and stool laboratory testing (including IBD serologies, thiopurine metabolite levels, and serum infliximab levels when performed).
Digital images and reports from any imaging studies performed
Endoscopy reports
Actual pathology sections or tissue blocks and accompanying reports

Fax records to (615) 936-8128. Radiologic imaging files and pathology sections may be sent with the patient to the visit.

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