Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Treatment of the Older Adult Patient (>50 Years Old) with Acute Headache in the ED

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Practical Assessment and Treatment of the Patient with Headaches in the Emergency Department and Urgent Care Clinic

  • 623 Accesses

Key Chapter Points

Primary headaches are more common in younger than older adult patients. Adults >50 years old presenting to the ED with headache will require a more detailed evaluation for secondary headache than younger adults. Common secondary headaches in adults >50 years old may include a wide range of disorders, including vascular conditions, acute angle-closure glaucoma, medication side effects, carbon monoxide poisoning, primary and metastatic neoplasm, infection, and trauma. Giant cell arteritis is a medical emergency requiring definitive, presumptive treatment initiation in the ED.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Goldstein JN, Camargo CA, Pelletier AJ, Edlow JA. Headache in the United States emergency departments: demographics, work-up and frequency of pathological disease. Cephalalgia. 2006;26:684–90.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kawahata N. Cerebrovascular disease in the elderly – clinical study of 31 cases with acute intracerebral hemorrhages. Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 1990;30:713–17.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Fink HA, MacDonald R, Rutks IR, Nelson DB, Wilt TJ. Sildenafil for male erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162:1349–60.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Müller A, Smith L, Parker M, Mulhall JP. Analysis of the efficacy and safety of sildenafil citrate in the geriatric population. BJU Int. 2007;100:117–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Walker RA, Wadman MC. Headache in the elderly. Clin Geriatr Med. 2007;23:291–305.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Carpenter CR, Despain B, Keeling TN, Shah M, Rothenberger M. The Six-Item Screener and AD8 for the detection of cognitive impairment in geriatric emergency department patients. Ann Emerg Med. 2011;57:653–61.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Galvin JE, Roe CM, Powlishta KK, et al. The AD8: a brief interview to detect dementia. Neurology. 2005;65:559–64.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Galvin JE, Roe CM, Coats MA, Morris JC. Patient’s rating of cognitive ability: using the AD8, a brief informant interview, as a self-rating tool to detect dementia. Arch Neurol. 2007;64:725–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Komatsu Y, Uemura K, Yasuda S, et al. Acute subdural hemorrhage of arterial origin: report of three cases. No Shinkei Geka. 1997;25:841–45.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Petridid AK, Dörner L, Doukas A, et al. Acute subdural hematoma in the elderly; clinical and CT factors influencing the surgical treatment decision. Cen Eur Neurosurg. 2009;70:73–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Karnath B. Subdural hematoma: presentation and management in older adults. Geriatrics. 2004;59:18–23.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Salvarani C, Cantini F, Boiardi L, Hunder GG. Medical progress: polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis. NEJM. 2002;347:261–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Salvarini C, Cimino L, Macchioni P, et al. Risk factors for visual loss in an Italian population-based cohort of patients with giant cell arteritis. Arthritis Care Res. 2005;53:293–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gonzalez-Gay MA, Blanco R, Rodriguez-Valverde V, et al. Permanent visual loss and cerebrovascular accidents in giant cell arteritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1998;41:1497–504.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Pipitone N, Salvarani C. Improving therapeutic options for patients with giant cell arteritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2008;20:17–22.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Proven A, Gabriel SE, Orces C, O’Fallon M, Hunder GG. Glucocorticoid therapy in giant cell arteritis: duration and adverse outcomes. Arthritis Care Res. 2003;49:703–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. De Simone R, Marano E, Ranieri A, Bonavita V. Hypnic headache: an update. Neurol Sci. 2006;27:S144–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Evers S, Goadsby PJ. Hypnic headache. Clinical features, pathophysiology, and treatment. Neurology. 2003;60:905–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Mullally WJ, Hall KE. Hypnic headache secondary to haemangioblastoma of the cerebellum. Cephalalgia. 2010;30:887–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Peatfield RC, Mendoza ND. Posterior fossa meningioma presenting as hypnic headache. Headache. 2003;43:1007–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Gil-Gouveia R, Goadsby PJ. Secondary ‘hypnic headache’. J Neurol. 2007;254:646–54.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Valentinis L, Tuniz F, Mucchiut M, et al. Hypnic headache secondary to growth hormone-secreting pituitary tumour. Cephalalgia. 2009;29:82–4.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Garza I, Hall K. Symptomatic hypnic headache secondary to nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma. Headache. 2009;49:470–2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lisotto C, Rossi P, Tassorelli C, Ferrante E, Nappi G. Focus on therapy of hypnic headache. J Headache Pain. 2010;11:349–54.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Dawn A. Marcus MD (Professor)

  2. Dean Health Systems, Madison, WI, USA

    Philip A. Bain MD

Authors
  1. Dawn A. Marcus MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Philip A. Bain MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dawn A. Marcus MD .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Marcus, D.A., Bain, P.A. (2012). Treatment of the Older Adult Patient (>50 Years Old) with Acute Headache in the ED. In: Practical Assessment and Treatment of the Patient with Headaches in the Emergency Department and Urgent Care Clinic. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0002-8_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0002-8_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-0001-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-0002-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation