The Patients With Headache in Emergency Department.
- Author:
Wen Joen CHANG
;
Tae Sik HWANG
;
Ho Sik SHIM
;
Hahn Shick LEE
;
Seong Joong KIM
- Publication Type:Original Article
- MeSH:
Adolescent;
Adult;
Analgesics;
Brain;
Cerebrospinal Fluid;
Emergencies*;
Emergency Service, Hospital*;
Headache*;
Humans;
Neurologic Manifestations;
Retrospective Studies
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
1997;8(3):380-384
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Headache is a common complaint in patients presenting to the emergency department(ED). Many patients suffered sustained headache even after presenting to the ED. This study investigate whether the patients were received analgesics and timely adequate. METHOD: We analyzed 131 adolescent and adult patients with non-traumatic headache without any neurologic deficit in two emergency department during 6 months period retrospectively. RESULTS: The positive and negative predictive value according to primary impression were 47% and 74% respectively. The mean time to take brain computed tomography(CT) after ED presentation was 120 minutes. The patients with primary impression of intracranial hemorrhage(mainly SAH) were the most fast(mean time 88+/- 70 minutes). 28(21%) patients were received analgesics before taking brain CT(after ED presentation), and 70(53%) patients after CT, 27(54%) patients after cerebrospinal fluid examination. The mean time interval were 43, 126 and 149 minutes on each group being received the analgesics. CONCLUSION: According to this study many patients suffered sustained headache before being classified to certain type of disorder. It may due to the reasons that there were no definite guidelines treating headache, the pain itself, or the physician treats patients as physician's way.
