title: Presentations to an acute medical unit due to headache: a review of 306 consecutive cases.
abstract: The United Kingdom National Health Service has recently prioritised the need for ambulatory care pathways for acute headache. The present study sought to better characterise patients referred to an Acute Medical Unit so as to inform pathway development. In 2011, York Hospital received 306 referrals due to acute headache, representing 3% of acute medical admissions. Investigations included CT scan (38%), lumbar puncture (38%), and MRI (18%); there were no specialised investigations in 26%, and 18% of patients were discharged on the day of presentation. Subarachnoid haemorrhage occurred in only 4 patients (1%), meningitis in 10 (3%), and intracranial tumour in 5 (2%). The findings indicate that a significant proportion of patients with acute headache could be managed by ambulatory care.
authors.affiliation: Hull York Medical School, York, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knox
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chuni
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Naqvi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Ws
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Waring
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013129:Spinal Puncture / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult