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Published on: November 9, 2016
Pediatric migraine: abortive management in the emergency department
David C Sheridan1, David M Spiro, Garth D Meckler
1Department of Emergency Medicine/Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Insights
Pediatric emergency department visits for headache are common. This review focuses on diagnosing and treating pediatric migraine, a frequent cause of these visits, in the emergency setting.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Neurology
Background:
- Headaches represent about 1% of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits.
- Distinguishing primary headaches (e.g., migraine) from secondary causes (e.g., infection, hemorrhage) is critical for ED physicians.
- Migraine is diagnosed in 75% of children with primary headaches presenting to the ED.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current literature on pediatric migraine.
- To emphasize diagnosis and abortive treatment strategies for migraine in the ED setting.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on pediatric migraine.
- Focus on diagnostic criteria and therapeutic interventions for emergency department settings.
Main Results:
- Primary headaches account for 40% of pediatric ED headache visits.
- Migraine is the most common primary headache diagnosis in this population.
- Effective abortive treatment selection remains a key challenge for clinicians.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric migraine is a significant reason for ED visits.
- Accurate diagnosis and timely, appropriate abortive treatment are essential in the ED.
- Further research may refine ED management protocols for pediatric migraine.
Abstract:
Studies suggest that headache accounts for approximately 1% of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits. ED physicians must distinguish between primary headaches, such as a tension or migraine, and secondary headaches caused by systemic disease including neoplasm, infection, or intracranial hemorrhage. A recent study found that 40% of children presenting to the ED with headache were diagnosed with a primary headache, and 75% of these were migraine. Once the diagnosis of migraine has been made, the ED physician is faced with the challenge of determining appropriate abortive treatment. This review summarizes the most recent literature on pediatric migraine with an emphasis on diagnosis and abortive treatment in the ED.
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