An evidence-based review of life-threatening secondary headaches in pediatric patients in the emergency department.

Abstract

Headache is a common complaint in pediatric patients presenting to the emergency department. Diagnosis of life-threatening pathology can be difficult due to the nonspecific symptoms for many of these conditions. Emergency clinicians must have a high index of suspicion, obtain a detailed history, and conduct a thorough physical examination to accurately identify life-threatening causes of headache. This issue reviews the general approach, differential diagnosis, and initial workup and management of the most common dangerous causes of secondary headaches in pediatric patients.