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Guidelines for all doctorsin the diagnosis and management of
Migraine and Tension-Type Headache
Writing Committee:T.J. Steiner
E.A. MacGregor
P.T.G. Davies
2004
Headache in the UK
• Affects nearly everyone occasionally
• Is a problem for around 40% of people
• Is one of the most frequent causes of consultation in both general practice and neurological clinics
• Represents an immense socioeconomic burden
Migraine in the UK
• Affects 12-15% of the population
• Affects 3X more women than men
• Most troublesome late teens to early 50s
• Also occurs in children and the elderly
Migraine in the UK
• An estimated 187,000 attacks every day
• Almost 90,000 people absent from work or school as a result
• Annual cost through lost work and impaired effectiveness may be £1.5 billion
• Despite these statistics migraine seems to be under-diagnosed and under-treated
Tension-type Headache (TTH)
• Affects up to 80% of people• Often referred to as a ‘normal’ or ‘ordinary’
headache by patients• Most do not consult a doctor• High prevalence results in a similar economic
burden to migraine via lost work or reduced working effectiveness
• 2-3% of adults have chronic TTH (i.e. TTH >15 days per month)
• Chronic TTH can result in substantial disability and work absence
British Association for the Study of Headache (BASH)
Management Guidelines• Intended for all doctors who manage headache
- in general practice or specialist clinics• Provide management strategies supported by
specialists in the field• Should be incorporated by healthcare
commissioners into any agreement for provision of service
British Association for the Study of Headache (BASH)
• Headache management requires a flexible and individualized approach
• BASH Guidelines can be tailored to individual clinical circumstances
The International Headache Society Classification
The International Headache Society (IHS) classifies headache disorders under primary and secondary conditions
Migraine – Without aura– With Aura
Tension-type Headache– Episodic– Chronic
Cluster Headache and other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias
IHS ClassificationPrimary Headaches
IHS ClassificationSecondary Headaches
• Headache attributed to– Head and/or neck trauma– Vascular disorders – Non-vascular intracranial disorders– A substance or its withdrawal– Infection– Disorder of homeostasis– Disorder of cranium neck, eyes, ears, nose, sinuses,
teeth, mouth or other facial or cranial structures– Psychiatric disorder
• Cranial neuralgias and central causes of pain• Headache unspecified/not classified
*Assuming a condition requiring urgent attention has already been ruled out
Patient history The key to diagnosis
• History is all-important – No diagnostic tests for primary headache
• Patient diaries can help identify patterns of attacks and aid diagnosis*
• Different headache types are not mutually exclusive
• Take a separate history for each headache type• In children, migraine and tension-type headache
may be less distinct than in adults
Headache history Key questions
TIME- Onset, frequency, patterns, duration?
CHARACTER- Site, intensity, nature of pain?
CAUSES- Predisposing, triggering, aggravating, relieving factors? - Family history?
RESPONSE- Patient’s actions and limitations during an attack?- Medications used?
INTERVALS- How does the patient feel between attacks?- Concerns, anxieties and fears about attacks?
Migraine Diagnostic Pointers
Typically• Recurrent episodic headaches with moderate or
severe pain• May be unilateral and/or throbbing • Last from 4 hours up to 3 days• Associated with gastrointestinal and visual
symptoms• Activity is limited and dark/quiet is preferred • Free from symptoms between attacks
IHS diagnostic criteriaMigraine without aura*
An idiopathic recurring headache with:A. At least 5 attacks fulfilling B-DB. Attacks last 4-72 hoursC. At least 2 of the following
- Unilateral location- Pulsating quality- Moderate or severe pain intensity- Aggravated by routine physical activity
D. At least one of the following during an attack- Nausea and/or vomiting - Photophobia and phonophobia
E. Not attributed to another disorder
* In children, attacks may be shorter; also more commonly bilateral and GI disturbance is more prominent
Diagnosis Migraine with aura
• Aura precedes headache• Symptoms of migraine aura:
– Transient hemianopic disturbances prior to headache, lasting 10-30 minutes (occasionally up to 1 hour)
– A spreading scintillating scotoma (patients may draw a jagged crescent)
– Other reversible focal neurological disturbances e.g. unilateral paraesthesiae of hand, arm or face
• Visual blurring and ‘spots’ are not diagnostic• Patients may have attacks of migraine with aura
and migraine without aura at different times
‘Diagnosis’ by treatment
• Can be tempting to use the specific anti-migraine drugs as a diagnostic test
• This approach is likely to mislead– Low sensitivity
• ‘Triptans’ are at best effective in only three quarters of attacks
– Low specificity• TTH in migraineurs can respond to triptans
Tension-type Headache (TTH)
TTH– Replaces ‘tension headache’ and ‘muscle
contraction headache’– Typically generalized ‘vice like’ or ‘a tight
band’– No nausea or photophobia
Tension-type Headache (TTH)
• Occasional TTH is seldom disabling (unlike chronic TTH)
• Both TTH and migraine are aggravated by stress (so can be hard to differentiate)
• Headache more often than once a week may be a mixture of TTH and migraine
• Successful management is dependent on recognition and management of each separate headache type
Chronic Daily Headache (CDH)
CDH– A descriptive, not diagnostic, term – Headache occurs on more days than not (>50% of
the time) over weeks or longer – Affects up to 4% of the population – Accounts for up to 40% of referrals to special
headache clinics– Costs the UK economy up to £1 billion per year in
lost working time yet is very poorly characterized
• Headaches occurring every day are generally not migraine (but may co-exist with migraine)
• CDH includes chronic TTH & Chronic Migraine
Medication Overuse Headache (MOH)
• Affects an estimated 1 in 50 people• First noted with phenacetin and
ergotamine• Typically results from overuse of OTC
analgesics• A related syndrome occurs with ‘triptans’• Accurate diagnosis is difficult in the
presence of MOH • A detailed medication history is essential
Cluster Headache (CH)
• Formerly known as migrainous neuralgia• Generally affects men (ratio 6:1), often smokers,
in their 20s or older• Typically occurs in bouts for 6-12 weeks every
one or two years• Attacks typically occur at night, waking the
patient 1 to 2 hours after falling asleep, lasting 30 to 60 minutes
• Pain is intense, probably as severe as renal colic, and strictly unilateral
Physical examination of headache patients
• Physical examination can reassure patients • Optic fundi should always be examined • Blood pressure measurement is recommended• Examine head and neck for muscle tenderness,
especially in tension-type headache• Examine jaw and bite • Some paediatricians recommend head
circumference measurement for children, plotted on a centile chart
Serious cause of headache 1
Intracranial tumours– Rarely produce headache until quite large– Epilepsy is a cardinal symptom– Loss of consciousness should be viewed very seriously– Focal neurological signs are generally present– Diagnosis harder in neurological ‘silent areas’ of the frontal
lobes
Meningitis– Usually accompanied by fever and neck stiffness– Headache may be generalized or frontal (perhaps radiating
to the neck)– Nausea and disturbed consciousness may accompany
headache later
Serious cause of headache 2
Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH)– Usually, sudden onset of very severe ‘explosive’ headache– Neck stiffness – may take hours to develop– Classical signs and symptoms may be absent in the elderly– Sometimes confused with migraine ‘thunderclap’ headache– Serious consequences of missing SAH call for a low
threshold of suspicion
Temporal arteritis (TA)– Suspect if new headache in patients over 50 years – Headache accompanied by marked scalp tenderness– Headache persistent but often worse at night– Jaw claudication is highly suggestive of TA
Serious cause of headache 3
Primary angle-closure glaucoma
– Rare before middle age– Headache and eye pain can be dramatic or episodic and mild
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
– Formerly termed benign intracranial hypertension or pseudotumor cerebri
– Rare cause, usually in obese young women– History may suggest raised intracranial pressure– Papilloedema is diagnostic in adults – Diagnosis confirmed by CSF pressure measurement
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning– Headache is a symptom of sub-acute toxicity– Uncommon but potentially fatal
Migraine Management Overview
• Aim for effective control of symptoms – A cure is unrealistic
• Under-treatment is not cost-effective– Results in unnecessary pain and disability– Repeat consultations are expensive
• Migraine typically varies with time – Needs may change
Migraine Management Overview
• Four elements to effective migraine management in adults– Correct and timely diagnosis– Explanation and reassurance – Identification and avoidance of
pre-disposing/trigger factors– Drug or non-drug intervention
• Children – Often respond to conservative migraine
management– If this fails, most can be managed as adults
Migraine Predisposing Factors
• Predisposing factors are different from precipitating/trigger factors
• Five main predisposing factors are recognized– Stress– Depression/anxiety– Menstruation– Menopause– Head or neck trauma
Migraine Trigger Factors
• Trigger factors are seen in occasional patients and include– Relaxation after stress: weekends/holidays– Change in habit: sleep, travel etc.– Bright lights/loud noise– Diet: alcohol, cheese, citrus fruits, possibly
chocolate (but evidence is inconclusive); missed or delayed meals
– Strenuous unaccustomed exercise– Menstruation
• A trigger diary kept by patients can be useful unless causes introspection
Migraine Acute Drugs
• Five step treatment ‘ladder’
• Failure on three occasions is the minimum criterion for moving to the next step
Migraine Acute Drugs 1
Step 1: Oral analgesics ± Antiemetica) Simple analgesics, preferably soluble
– Aspirin or paracetamol or ibuprofen – NOT codeine or dihydrocodeine
b) As above or prescription-only NSAID plus prokinetic antiemetic(metoclopramide or domperidone)
Contraindications: Aspirin not recommended for children under 16 Metoclopramide not recommended for children or adolescents
Migraine Acute Drugs 2
Step 2: Parenteral Analgesic ± Antiemetic
Diclofenac suppositories
Plus
Domperidone suppositories
Contraindications:
Peptic ulcer or lower bowel disease
Diarrhoea
Patient non-acceptance
Migraine Acute Drugs 3(i)
Step 3: Triptans
Marked inter-patient variation in response – see which suits the patient best
Ineffective if taken before onset of headache
Some experts suggest adding metoclopramide or domperidone
Symptoms often relapse within 48 hours
Contraindications:
Uncontrolled hypertension
Risk factors for CHD or CVD
Children under 12 years
Migraine Acute Drugs 3(ii)
Step 3: Ergotamine
Toxicity and misuse are potential drawbacks
Contraindications:
Ergotamine is not an option if triptans are contraindicated and should not be taken concomitantly with a triptan
Beta-blocker therapy
Not advised for children
Migraine Acute Drugs 4
Step 4: Combinations
Steps 1+3 may be helpful, followed by Steps 2+3
Self-injected diclofenac may be tried
Migraine Emergency Treatment
Emergency treatment at home
• NOT pethidine
• Intramuscular diclofenac and/or
• Intramuscular chlorpromazine – Antiemetic and sedative
Migraine Repeated Relapse
• Consider naratriptan, eletriptan or frovatriptan
• Ergotamine– Prolonged duration of action
• Diclofenac or tolfenamic acid may be used– Pre-emptively if relapse is anticipated
Migraine Prophylactic Drugs
• Prophylactic therapy is used (in addition to acute therapy) to reduce the number of attacks when acute therapy alone gives inadequate symptom control
• Criteria for choice of prophylactic drug based on– Evidence of efficacy– Comorbidity and effect of drug – Contraindications, including risk of pregnancy– Frequency of dosing: once daily dosing is
preferable
Migraine Prophylactic Drugs 1
First-line– Beta-blockers (atenolol,metoprolol,
propranolol, bisoprolol) if not contra-indicated– Amitriptyline – when migraine co-exists with
• TTH• Another chronic pain condition• Disturbed sleep• Depression
Migraine Prophylactic Drugs 2
Second-line– Sodium valproate – Topiramate
• Evidence for sodium valproate is reasonable and clinical usage is extensive
• Evidence for topiramate is very good but clinical usage is as yet limited
Migraine Prophylactic Drugs 3
Third-line– Gabapentin – Methysergide– Beta-blockers and amitriptyline (in
combination)
Migraine Prophylactic drugs 4
Other options (limited efficacy)– Pizotifen– Verapamil – SSRIs
Migraine Menstrual attacks
Perimenstrual prophylaxis– Non-hormonal
• Mefenamic acid - first-line in migraine occurring with menorrhagia and/or dysmenorrhoea
– Oestrogen• If the women has an intact uterus and is menstruating
regularly, no progestogens are necessary
Combined oral contraceptives– Migraine without aura in pill-free interval may resolve with a
more oestrogen-dominant pill– Not recommended for women with migraine with aura
MigraineHRT
Migraine and hormone replacement therapy• The menopause itself commonly exacerbates
migraine• Symptoms can be relieved with HRT• No evidence that risk of stroke is elevated or
reduced by use of HRT in women with migraine• Some women on HRT find migraine worsens
– Often solved by reducing dose and/or changing to non-oral formulation
Migraine Non-drug Intervention
• Improving physical fitness
• Physiotherapy (but no evidence)
• Acupuncture
• Psychological therapy– Relaxation– Stress reduction– Coping strategies– Biofeedback
Tension-type Headache (TTH) Management
Infrequent episodic TTH (<2 days/week)
• Reassurance
• Symptomatic treatment– Aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen– Codeine and dihydrocodeine should be
avoided
Chronic TTH
• Symptomatic treatment may give short-term relief but is inappropriate long-term
• Consider a course of naproxen – May break the cycle – May stop overuse of analgesics
• Amitriptyline is the prophylactic of choice
Tension-type Headache (TTH) Management
Tension-type Headache (TTH) Management
Non-drug interventions
• Regular exercise
• Physiotherapy
• Stress-coping strategies
• Acupuncture
Co-existing HeadachesManagement
• Restrict symptomatic medication– Max 2 days per week
• Prophylaxis for migraine coexisting with episodic TTH– Amitriptyline– Sodium valproate
BASH Guidelines Effects of Implementation
• Improve diagnosis • Increase the number of
patient with migraine using triptans
• Reduce misuse of medication, including triptans
• Reduce the need for specialist referral
• Improve the overall effectiveness of headache management
• Reduce inappropriate treatment
• Improved treatment for each patient
• Improve outcome• Reduce iatrogenic
illness• Reduce disability
BASH GuidelinesEffects of Implementation
Initially increases the no. of consultations per patient
BUTReduces the overall number of consultations
Raises expectations, especially amongst those with migraine, leading to more patients consulting
BUTReduces the overall burden of illness, with savings elsewhere
Audit Judging Effectiveness
• Aims of Audit– To measure direct treatment costs
• Consultations, referrals and prescriptions
– To measure headache burden • Before and after implementation of BASH guidelines
• Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) may be useful in the audit process– A self-administered questionnaire – Measures the adverse effect of headache on work
and social activities over the preceding 3 months