title: [Headache and immigration. A study in the outpatient department of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The immigrant population (IP) is visiting neurology departments on an increasingly more frequent basis. Research has still not made it clear whether there are geographical differences in the prevalence of primary headaches and the possible influence of emigration.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective (12 months) and prospective study (18 months) of the first visits to the Headache Unit at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. Data collected included the country of birth, time parameters of the headache and of the immigration, diagnoses according to the criteria of the IHS and treatments that had been used. Related headaches were considered to be those that began within one year of having immigrated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The IP represents 13.6% (n = 142) of the total number of first visits because of headaches (n = 1044). Immigrants came mostly from Latin America (83.9%). Headaches began after immigration in 40.1% of cases without the existence of any temporal relation with immigration. The distribution of the diagnoses of headache is similar to those of the local population, the most frequent being migraine (57.7%) and tension-type headache (15.5%). On comparing treatments prior to and following immigration, we find differences in the use of triptans (2.1% versus 46.2%), ergotamine (9.8% versus 2.1%) and in the use of preventive treatments (2% versus 45%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IP accounts for 13% of all first visits due to headaches and their diagnoses are similar to those of the local population. Emigration is neither a precipitating nor an aggravating factor for headaches in our series. There is a significant difference in symptomatic and preventive treatment between the period prior to immigration and afterwards.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Espana.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vidal-Jordana
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barroeta-Espar
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sainz-Pelayo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004878:Ergotamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006801:Humans; D010045:Outpatients; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D004878:Ergotamine