Headache in the emergency department

Emergency-medicine clinical researchers concentrate on optimizing diagnostic workups and treatment protocols, as well as improving throughput in an emergency department. This past year has yielded a wealth of clinical research focused on headache, which should streamline the diagnostic workup of nontraumatic headaches (particularly the search for subarachnoid hemorrhage) and several comparative efficacy trials, which help clinicians determine how best to treat acute migraine with parenteral medications. Herein, we review and contextualize the most important recent developments with regard to management of headache in the acute care setting.