The Journal of Emergency Medicine
Volume 36, Issue 4 , Pages 333-337 , May 2009

Evaluating the Use and Timing of Opioids for the Treatment of Migraine Headaches in the Emergency Department

  • Stephen V. Tornabene, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Kaiser Permanente Oakland, Oakland, California
    • ,
  • Reena Deutsch, PHD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California
    • ,
  • Daniel P. Davis, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California
    • ,
  • Theodore C. Chan, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California
    • ,
  • Gary M. Vilke, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint Address: Gary M. Vilke, md, Department of Emergency Medicine, UC San Diego Medical Center, 200 West Arbor Drive, Mailcode #8676, San Diego, CA 92103

Received 26 August 2006 ,Revised 9 July 2007 ,Accepted 13 July 2007.

References 

  1. Hu X, Markeson L, Lipton R, et al. Burden of migraine in the United States: disability and economic costs. Arch Intern Med. 1999;159:813–818
  2. Edmeads J, Mackell A. The economic impact of migraine: an analysis of direct and indirect costs. Headache. 2002;42:501–509
  3. Vinson DR, Hurtado TR, Vandenberg JT, et al. Variations among emergency departments in the treatment of benign headache. Ann Emerg Med. 2003;41:90–97
  4. Vinson DR. Treatment patterns of isolated benign headache in US emergency departments. Ann Emerg Med. 2002;39:334–337
  5. Silberstein S. Practice parameter: evidence-based guidelines for migraine headache (an evidence-based review): report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2000;55:754–762
  6. Colman I, Rothney A, Wright S, et al. Use of narcotic analgesics in the emergency department treatment of migraine headache. Neurology. 2004;62:1695–1700
  7. Maizels M. Health resource utilization of the emergency department headache “repeater”. Headache. 2002;42:747–753
  8. Chan B, Ovens H. Chronic migraineurs: an important subgroup of patients who visit emergency departments frequently. Ann Emerg Med. 2004;43:238–242
  9. Ziegler DK. Opioids in headache treatment: is there a role?. Neurol Clin. 1997;15:199–207
  10. Tamayo-Sarver J, Dawson N, Hinze S, et al. The effect of race/ethnicity and desirable social characteristics on physicians' decisions to prescribe opioid analgesics. Acad Emerg Med. 2003;10:1239–1248
  11. Lanser P, Gesell S. Pain management: the fifth vital sign. Healthc Benchmarks. 2001;8:68–70, 62.
  12. Scherl ER, Wilson JF. Comparison of dihyroergotamine with metoclopramide versus meperidine with promethazine in the treatment of acute migraine. Headache. 1995;35:256–259
  13. Duarte C, Dunaway F, Turner L, et al. Ketorolac versus meperidine and hydroxyzine in the treatment of acute migraine headache, a randomized, prospective, double-blind trial. Ann Emerg Med. 1992;21:1116–1121
  14. Lane PL, McLellan BA, Baggoley CJ. Comparative efficiency of chlorpromazine and meperidine with dimenhydrinate in migraine headache. Ann Emerg Med. 1989;18:360–365
  15. Maizels M. Headache evaluation and treatment by primary care physicians in an emergency department in the era of triptans. Arch Intern Med. 2001;161:1969–1973
  16. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Visits to U.S. emergency departments at all-time high; number of departments shrinking [press release May 26, 2005]. http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r050526.htm
  17. Langemark M, Olesan J. Drug abuse in migraine patients. Pain. 1984;19:81–86
  18. Salomone J, Thomas R, Althoff J, et al. An evaluation of the role of the ED in the management of migraine headaches. Am J Emerg Med. 1994;12:134–137
  19. Lipton R, Diamond S, Reed M, et al. Migraine diagnosis and treatment: results from the American migraine study II. Headache. 2001;41:638–645

PII: S0736-4679(07)00768-8

doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2007.07.068

The Journal of Emergency Medicine
Volume 36, Issue 4 , Pages 333-337 , May 2009

Article Tools