Treatment Goals
Promote Optimum Physiologic Function and Educate About Prevention and Management
Monitor vital signs, assess all physiologic systems, and review laboratory and diagnostic study results; immediately report abnormalities and provide prescribed treatment
Assess fall risk; reduce external stimulation (e.g., dim lights, reduce noise)
Administer prescribed acetaminophen or NSAIDs; sumatriptan nasal spray for acute attacks in children who are over 12 years of age; or aspirin or Excedrin for children over 15 years of age (for details, see Red Flags, below). If ordered, give off-label abortive agents at first sign of migraine headache or prophylactic off-label agents to reduce migraine frequency and severity (for drug information, see Description/Etiology, above)
Assess patient/family member anxiety and coping ability, and be aware that parents might fear a life-threatening condition as the cause of a headache; provide emotional support, educate, and encourage discussion about migraine headache, including triggers, treatment risks and benefits, prevention strategies, and the need for continued medical surveillance
As appropriate, request referral to a headache specialist if one is not already part of the treatment team, and/or to a mental health clinician for counseling (e.g., as needed for an adolescent patient)