Emergency Department Treatment of Elevated Blood Pressure in the Headache Patient

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Authors

Lauren Eberhardt, Corewell Health West Resident
Michelle Jankowski, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Brett Todd, Corewell Health East

Description

• Headache is an extremely common emergency department (ED) chief complaint, accounting for 1-3% of emergency department (ED) visits per year globally.
• Headache is often associated with elevated blood pressure and the most frequent clinical manifestation of hypertensive urgency, occurring in 35.9% of patients.5
• First line treatments used for acute headache management in the ED include intravenous fluid (IVF), anti-dopaminergic agents, aspirin, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and ketorolac.6
• Rescue analgesia is needed for pain management in 16% to 18.1% of patients.8,9.
• Rescue analgesia includes: additional doses of first line analgesia or initiation of a second line medication1,6,10,11 such as magnesium sulfate, anti-epileptics, nerve blocks, and ketamine.6
• It is unclear if the headache is the cause of elevated blood pressure or if elevated blood pressure results in pain and distress.
• An improved understanding of this relationship could provide guidance to ED physicians managing headache patients with elevated blood pressure.

Publication Date

5-2024

Keywords

Headache, emergency department

Disciplines

Emergency Medicine | Surgery

Recommended Citation

Eberhardt L, Jankowski M, Todd B. Emergency department treatment of elevated blood pressure in the headache patient. Poster presented at: Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine Embark Capstone Colloquium; 2024 May; Rochester Hills, MI.

Comments

The Embark Capstone Colloquium at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester Hills, MI, May, 2024.