Headaches that Matter

Headaches can be, well, a headache. Most are just fine and benign. However, picking out the bad ones and the ones that will become even worse ones is pretty much our responsibility.

Here are two great episodes from Emergency Medicine Cases.

You thought the Thunderclap headache could be a simple “Subarachnoid – Yes or No Question’? Think again.

From infections to dissections to thrombosis – they can all present with sudden severe headache.

http://emergencymedicinecases.com/episode-14-part-1-migraine-headache-subarachnoid-hemorrhage/

http://emergencymedicinecases.com/episode-14-p2-thunderclap-headache-cvt-cervical-artery-dissection/

Rob Orman from ERCAST gives his take on the ‘sinus headache’ and more:

http://blog.ercast.org/really-sinus-headache/

And a bit of BMJ magic to baffle and confound you with a variety of headache presentations that may not have made it onto our radar..

http://www.epocrates.com/dacc/1301/ThunderclapHeadacheBMJ1301.pdf

 

Our practice has been slowly changing in the work up for subarachnoid haemorrhage. We’re not routinely reaching for the spinal needle after a negative scan anymore and here’s why..

http://blog.ercast.org/the-subarachnoid-enigma/

If you fancy delving deeper into the evidence and pathology of SAH and its work up, this is a great session from SMART EM

http://www.smartem.org/podcasts/smart-sah-picture-worth-thousand-lps