Introduction
Migraine is one of the most common reasons adults in the
United States present to the emergency department (ED).1 It
accounts for almost 3% of ED visits and annually costs anywhere
between $1 to $17 billion. Migraines are known to affect
approximately 23 million people in the U.S. alone. Those affected
are most likely to be between the ages of 20 to 55, but migraines are
also seen in children as young as five as well as in the elderly. Of the
patients that experience migraines, 63% have between one and four
attacks per month, 23% have less than one attack per month, and
14% have more than four migraine attacks per month.2
The International Headache Society (IHS) classifies migraine
as a primary headache disorder, along with tension-type and cluster
headaches. There are two major subtypes of migraine, which include
migraine with aura and migraine without aura.3 Aura is a group of
neurologic symptoms that affects approximately 31% of migraineurs
on some occasions.2