Acute headache. Rule out the secondary/dangerous causes before treating empirically for primary headache.
Authored pathway active · symptom.headache.ed_undifferentiated.ed
Acute headache. Rule out the secondary/dangerous causes before treating empirically for primary headache.
Guidelines: ACEP 2019 Clinical Policy on Acute Headache · AAN 2019 Primary Care Management of Headache · Ottawa SAH Rule (Perry, JAMA 2013)
Phenotypes (4)
- Headache ED - Thunderclap (Worst of Life)
- Headache ED - Secondary (Red Flags Present)
- Headache ED - Primary (Migraine/Cluster)
- Headache ED - Hypertensive Emergency
Red flags (6)
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage (thunderclap headache, max intensity within minutes, "worst of life", LOC, neck stiffness).CRITICAL
- Bacterial meningitis (fever + headache + meningismus or AMS or new seizure).CRITICAL
- Giant cell arteritis (age ≥ 50, new headache, jaw claudication, vision change, scalp tenderness, ESR/CRP elevated).CRITICAL
- Elevated ICP / mass effect (papilledema, postural worsening, morning headache, AM nausea, focal deficit, new seizure).CRITICAL
- +2 more
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